n  the 


IN   THE    WASP'S    NEST 


THE   SCRIBNER  SERIES 
FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 

EACH  WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR 


BOOKS  FOR  BOYS 

THE  MODERN  VIKINGS  By  H.  H.  Boyesen 

WILL  SHAKESPEARE'S  LITTLE  LAD        By  Imogen  Clark 
THE  BOY  SCOUT  and  Other  Stories  for  Boys 
STORIES  FOR  BOTS  By  Richard  Harding  Davis 

HANS  BRINKER,  or.  The  Silver  Skates 

By  Mary  Mapes  Dodge 

THE  HOOSIER  SCHOOL-BOY  By  Edward  Eggleston 

THE  COURT  OF  KING  ARTHUR    By  William  Henry  Frost 
WITH  LEE  IN  VIRGINIA 
WITH  WOLFE  IN  CANADA 

REDSKIN  AND  COWBOY  By  G.  A.  Henty 

AT  WAR  WITH  PONTIAC  By  Kirk  Munroe 

TOMMY  TROT'S  VISIT  TO  SANTA  CLAUS  and 
A  CAPTURED  SANTA  CLAUS          By  Thomas  Nelson  Page 
BOYS  OF  ST.  TIMOTHY'S  By  Arthur  Stanwood  Pier 

KIDNAPPED 
TREASURE  ISLAND 

BLACK  ARROW  By  Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

AROUND  THE  WORLD  IN  EIGHTY  DAYS 
A  JOURNEY  TO  THE  CENTRE  OF  THE  EARTH 
FROM  THE  EARTH  TO  THE  MOON 
TWENTY  THOUSAND  LEAGUES  UNDER  THE  SEA 

By  Jules  Verne 
ON  THE  OLD  KEARSAGE 

IN  THE  WASP'S  NEST  By  Cyrus  Townsend  Brady 

THE  BOY  SETTLERS 

THE  BOYS  OF  FAIRPORT  By  Noah  Brooks 

THE  CONSCRIPT  OF  1813  By  Erckmann-Chatrian 

THE  STEAM-SHOVEL  MAN  By  Ralph  D.  Paine 

THE  MOUNTAIN  DIVIDE  By  Frank  H.  Spearman 

THE  STRANGE  GRAY  CANOE  By  Paul  G.  Tomlinson 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A  FRESHMAN    By  J.  L.  Williams 
JACK  HALL,  or.  The  School  Days  of  an  American  Boy 

By  Robert  Grant 

BOOKS  FOR  GIRLS 

SMITH  COLLEGE  STORIES  By  Josephine  Daskam 

THE  HALLOWELL  PARTNERSHIP 

By  Katharine  Holland  Brown 

MY  WONDERFUL  VISIT  By  Elizabeth  Hill 

SARAH  CREWE,  or,  What  Happened  at  Miss  Minchin's 

By  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 


There  was  a  wild  melee. 


IN   THE   WASPS    NEST 

THE  STORY  OF  A  SEA   WAIF 
IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812 


ILLUSTRATED    BY 

RUFUS    F.    ZOGBAUM 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1921 


COPYRIGHT,  igoa,  BV 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

Published,  September,  1909 


SRLF 
URL 


TO    MY    NEPHEWS 

LEE   ASHBROOK 

AND 

WILL    CURRAN 


PREFACE 

THE  boys  of  the  service,  bless  them,  have  always 
played  a  large  part  in  making  history  for  the  nation. 

Many  of  Paul  Jones'  officers  on  the  famous  Bon 
Homme  Richard,  as  I  have  remarked  in  "The 
Grip  of  Honor,"  were  boys,  midshipmen  who  took 
the  place  of  lieutenants  in  the  battle  with  the  Se- 
rapis,  to  which  Jack  Lang  so  often  alludes.  Stout 
old  Commodore  Preble  conducted  the  Tripolitan 
war  to  a  successful  end  with  what  he  called  "  a  lot 
of  school-boy  captains  "  who  had  received  some  of 
their  training  under  Truxtun,  Little,  and  Barry  in 
the  French  War,  during  which  this  story  opens. 

And  the  midshipmen,  boys  all,  and  the  youngsters 
of  the  crews  proved  themselves  worthy  of  the  al- 
ready established  traditions  of  the  service  under  the 
great  leadership  of  the  famous  captains  of  the  War 
of  1812,  in  which  the  main  action  of  this  story  oc- 
curs. So  the  tradition  was  handed  down  through 
the  years,  and  many  books  might  be  written  about 
the  boys  in  the  Mexican  War,  in  the  Civil  War, 

Tii 


PREFACE 

and  in  the  Spanish- American  War.  If  this  volume 
meets  with  the  favor  of  my  young  readers,  I  hope  to 
follow  it  with  others,  treating  of  some  of  the  hap- 
penings in  these  great  wars  that  I  have  alluded  to. 

The  Wasp  was  the  name  of  two  of  the  most 
famous  of  our  fighting  cruisers,  and  the  mysterious 
fate  of  the  second  always  lends  a  tragic  and  ro- 
mantic interest  to  her  story.  Save  for  the  deviation 
explained  in  the  note  at  the  end  of  the  volume,  I 
have  tried  to  tell  the  truth  about  her  officers,  her 
crew,  her  cruising,  and  her  fighting. 

And  may  I  add  that  old  Jack  Lang,  whom  I  love 
as  much  as  any  man  I  have  ever  written  about, 
was  a  real  character ;  one  of  the  few  seamen  in  the 
Navy  whose  names  and  some  details  of  their  actions 
have  been  preserved.  Would  there  were  more  ac- 
counts of  the  gallant  services  of  such  men  as  he 
and  old  Reuben  James,  for  instance  !  It  has  been  a 
pleasure  to  write  of  him,  even  though  I  have  added 
to  the  portrait  fiction's  touches  to  supplement  what 
little  I  could  find  out  about  him.  He  did  board  the 
Frolic  alone,  too ! 

But  enough  of  preface.  The  spirit  of  the  Wasp's 
crew  was  the  spirit  of  Manila  and  Santiago.  But 
though  men  now  fight  in  bigger  ships  with  greater 
guns  and  heavier  armor,  they  manifest  no  greater 


PREFACE 

heroism  or  skill,  or  courage,  and  do  no  greater  deeds 
than  did  little  Boston  and  old  Jack  Lang  and  sturdy 
Jacob  Jones  and  gallant  Blakely  and  the  rest, 
whom  I  now  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to 
my  readers. 


C.  T.  B. 


LAKE  PLACID  CLUB, 

ADIRONDACKS,  N.  Y., 

June  27th,  1902. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  Boston  Chases  a  Stranger I 

II.    The  Boston  Takes  Le  Berceau 10 

III.  The  Baby  on  Le  Berceau 20 

IV.  Jack  Lang  is  Appointed  Head  Nurse   ...     29 
V.  Lang  and  the  Baby  Berth  with  the  Captain       39 

VI.    Committed  to  the  Great  Deep 48 

VII.    Billy  Bowline  Bears  a  Hand 57 

VIII.  The  Commodore  Furnishes  a  Goat      ...     68 

IX.    Master  Ned  is  well  Sponsored 75 

X.  How  the  Crew  Remembered  the  Baby      .     .     83 

XI.  The  Wasp  gets  a  New  "  Reefer "  ....     92 

XII.    Fun  in  the  Steerage 105 

XIII.  Ned  Boston  Learns  the  Ropes 116 

XIV.  The  Wasp  Loses  Two  of  Her  Men   .     .     .123 
XV.  Boston  is  Severely  Reprimanded.     .     .     .     .128 

XVI.  Ned  Fights  his  First  Great  Battle   .     .     .     .137 

XVII.  The  Wasp  takes  the  Frolic    ......   148 

XVIII.    The  Wasp  is  Captured 155 

XIX.  The  Magnanimity  of  the  Englishman  .     .     .160 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  Ned  Boston  Champions  the  United  States    .   172 

XXI.  Old  Friends  are  Met  Together     .     .     .     .181 

XXII.    The  Little  Pride  of  the  Navy 195 

XXIII.  Breaking  the  Blockade    .......  202 

XXIV.  "To  Sink,  Burn,  and  Destroy!"      .     .     .212 
XXV.    Clearing  Ship  for  Action 218 

XXVI.    An  Heroic  English  Captain 229 

XXVII.    Taken  by  Storm 237 

XXVIII.    A   Wasp  Indeed 247 

XXIX.  Right  into  the  Face  of  the  Enemy    .     .     .256 

XXX.    The  Wasp  Sinks  the  Avon 264 

XXXI.    Last  Letters  Home 271 

XXXII.    Run  Down  at  Last 280 

XXXIII.  The  End  of  the  Wasp 290 

XXXIV.  The  Castaways 302 

XXXV.    The  Erederode  to  the  Rescue 309 

XXXVI.    The  Mystery  is  Solved 315 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

There  was  a  wild  melee Frontispiece 


FACING 
PAGE 


The  surrender  of  Le  Berceau 24 

Old  Jack  Lang  stood  alone  on  the  forecastle    .     .     .     .152 
The  castaways       . •_•.  •     •     •     •  3IQ 


IN  THE  WASP'S  NEST 

CHAPTER  I 

THE   BOSTON  CHASES   A   STRANGER 

"TUMBLE  up  here,  bullies!  Lively,  now!"  said 
an  officer  of  the  watch,  picking  his  way  forward 
along  the  starboard  gangway  through  the  men  of  the 
port  watch  sprawling  in  sleeping  confusion  on  the 
deck,  under  the  lee  of  the  boom  boats  and  spare 
topmasts  lashed  amidships.  "  Mr.  Blakely,"  he 
added,  looking  up  to  the  top-gallant  forecastle, 
where  a  very  young  midshipman  with  all  the  dignity 
of  a  first  command  was  strutting  to  and  fro  across 
the  dfeck,  his  hand  fingering  the  dirk  or  short  sword 
hanging  by  his  side,  "  oblige  me  by  sending  a  man 
up  to  the  tops'l  yard,  sir, — the  best  man  you  have 
in  the  forecastle." 

"That'll  be  Lang,  sir,"  piped  up  the  small  mid- 
shipman, touching  the  huge  cocked  hat  that  quite 
overshadowed  him.  "  Lang  ! "  he  called  out. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ! "  growled  a  deep  bass  voice  as  the 
figure  of  a  brawny  sailor  disengaged  itself  from  the 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

sprawling  heap  of  men,  who,  in  obedience  to  the 
lieutenant's  summons,  were  already  rising  to  their 
feet,  while  rubbing  their  eyes,  yawning,  and  striving 
to  shake  off  the  sleepiness  that  still  possessed  them. 

"  Good-mornin',  Mr.  Blakely,"  said  the  sailor,  ap- 
proaching the  boy.  "Looks  like  a  fine  mornin'  we're 
goin'  to  have,  sir,"  he  added,  sweeping  the  sky-line 
in  a  comprehensive  glance.  "  Was  you  callin'  me, 
sir?" 

There  was  no  disrespect  in  the  familiarity  with 
which  the  seaman  addressed  the  young  midshipman, 
for  the  relation  between  the  two  was  one  of  those 
pleasant  associations  which  often  subsisted  between 
the  veteran  sailors  of  a  hundred  years  ago  and  the 
extremely  youthful  midshipmen  of  that  period,  who 
occupied  a  somewhat  anomalous  station  as  officers. 

Jack  Lang  was  then  fifty  years  old.  He  came 
originally  from  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey. 
When  a  young  man  he  had  been  a  privateersman  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  afterward  serving  under 
Cunnyngham  in  the  Surprise  and  Revenge  in  Brit- 
ish seas.  He  had  been  captured  with  his  gallant 
commander,  but  had  been  afterward  exchanged 
and  had  reached  L'Orient  in  time  to  enter  on  the 
Bonhomme  Richard  and  take  part  in  Paul  Jones's 
famous  cruise  and  the  battle  which  had  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  the  Serapis. 

After  the  war  he  had  gone  on  several  whaling 
cruises,  but  the  spirit  of  the  man-o'-war's-man  in 
him  was  too  strong  to  be  resisted,  and  the  little 


THE  BOSTON  CHASES   A   STRANGER 

naval  war  with  France  in  1799-1800  found  him  an 
"  A.  B."  (able  seaman)  on  the  muster  roll  of  the 
United  States  sloop-of-war  Boston,  Captain  George 
Little,  which  was  cruising  in  the  South  Atlantic 
about  a  thousand  miles  north  of  Puerto  Rico  in  lati- 
tude 22°  55'  North,  longitude  51°  West,  on  the  i2th 
of  October,  1800,  on  the  lookout  for  French  cruisers 
and  privateers. 

Lang  was  a  man  of  huge  proportions,  indicating 
great  bodily  strength  and  vigor,  unusual  in  so  old  a 
man.  His  handsome  face  was  tanned  a  deep,  rich 
brown  by  his  years  of  exposure  to  wind  and  weather 
in  many  seas.  As  he  stood  on  the  top-gallant  fore- 
castle with  folded  arms — a  little  trick  of  position 
which  he  had — balancing  himself  easily  to  the  slow 
rolling  and  pitching  of  the  ship  in  the  gentle 
breeze  of  the  languid  morning,  he  looked  the  very 
picture  of  the  bold,  skilful,  veteran  American 
sailor. 

"  Lang,  my  man,"  said  little  Blakely,  throwing 
his  chest  out  importantly  and  thrusting  his  hand  in 
the  bosom  of  his  jacket,  with  an  air  which  he  con- 
ceived to  be  impressive,  but  which  amused  greatly 
the  sailor  and  the  officer  of  the  deck,  "  shin  up  to 
the  tops'l  yard.  I  want  a  pair  of  sharp  eyes  there 
to  take  a  look  for  any  ships  of  the  enemy." 

"  Werry  good,  sir,"  returned  the  old  man,  smiling 
behind  his  hand.  "  Be  ye  expectin*  to  raise  some 
this  mornin'  ?  " 

Lang's  one  fault  was  a   tendency  to   loquacity, 

3 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

which  persisted  in  spite  of  much  discouragement 
by  the  officers. 

"  Lang !  "  sharply  called  the  amused  watch  officer 
clambering  up  the  ladder  to  the  top-gallant  fore- 
castle. "Bear  a  hand  !  We'll  discuss  your  expec- 
tations later." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  answered  the  sailor  promptly,  not 
presuming  to  hesitate  a  moment  in  the  presence  of 
such  a  reminder  from  the  older  and  more  experi- 
enced officer  whose  nearness  he  had  not  noticed. 

He  sprang  into  the  weather  shrouds  at  once. 
For  all  he  was  so  large  a  man  the  sailor  ran  up  the 
shrouds  as  rapidly  and  as  easily  as  if  they  had  been 
a  pair  of  stairs.  Swinging  himself  over  the  fut- 
tocks,  he  presently  gained  the  foretopsail  yard. 
Grasping  the  tye  with  one  hand  and  shading  his 
eyes  with  the  other,  he  stood  erect  on  the  yard, 
leaning  forward  and  peering  earnestly  around  the 
stretch  of  gray  sea. 

Off  in  the  east  day  was  already  beginning  to 
break.  Below  him  the  ship's  bell  struck  the  two 
couplets  which  proclaimed  that  it  was  six  o'clock. 
The  sun  would  soon  be  up.  He  carefully  searched 
the  horizon  with  his  keen,  practiced  eyes  for  any 
indication  of  a  ship.  However,  the  morning  was 
as  yet  too  little  advanced  for  the  horizon  to  be  clear, 
and  he  could  see  nothing. 

"  It  has  been  a  long  watch,  Mr.  Blakely,"  said 
the  lieutenant  of  the  watch,  yawning  sleepily. 
"  You  have  seen  nothing  forward,  I  suppose  ?  " 

4 


THE  BOSTON  CHASES   A   STRANGER 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  answered  Blakely,  saluting  his 
superior,  "  else  I  should  have  reported  it  to  you  at 
once.'* 

"Ah,  you've  the  making  of  a  fine  officer  in  you 
some  day,  my  lad,"  said  the  older  man,  smiling,  lay- 
ing his  hand  kindly  upon  the  boy's  shoulder. 
"  Keep  a  bright  lookout,  always,  Mr.  Blakely.  It's 
a  good  rule  on  the  sea,  a  good  rule  everywhere. 
There  goes  four  bells.  Tell  the  bo's'n's  mate  to  turn 
the  men  to.  Let  them  break  out  the  holystones 
and  scrub  decks." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Blakely.  "  Bo's'n's  mate  ! " 
he  called,  shrilly.  "  Turn  the  hands  to  and  get  the 
decks  washed  down  at  once  ! " 

The  decks  were  already  as  white  and  clean  as 
laboring  humanity  could  make  them,  but  the  inva- 
riable routine  of  the  ship  had  to  be  carried  out. 
Captain  Little  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  his 
requirements  were  comparable  only  to  those  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians.  He  had  been  known  to  have 
the  decks  of  the  Boston  washed,  holystoned,  and 
squilgeed  in  the  midst  of  a  rain  storm  ! 

"  Tops'l  yard  there  ! "  said  the  lieutenant  going 
forward  between  the  knight-heads  and  looking  up 
at  Lang.  "  D'ye  see  anything  there  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  the  man  ;  "  leastways  I  ain't 
sure.  Mebbe —  Sail  ho  !  "  he  shouted,  suddenly. 

"  Where  away  ? "  cried  the  officer,  his  languid 
manner  instantly  disappearing,  as  he  straightened 
up  and  listened  for  the  reply. 

5 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Right  ahead,  sir  !  " 

"  Can  you  make  her  out  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  sir.     'Taint  light  enough." 

"Go  up  on  the  to'-gallant  yard  and  try  if  you 
can  see  anything  more.  Mr.  Blakely,  step  aft  to 
the  cabin  at  once.  Give  my  compliments  to  the 
captain  and  tell  him  we've  raised  a  sail  right 
ahead." 

"  Sail  ho ! "  again  came  floating  down  from  the 
topsail  yard. 

"  Keep  fast,  Mr.  Blakely.  Aloft  there  !  What 
do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  see  another  sail,  sir.  There's  two  on  'em,  sir. 
Close  together.  Hull  down." 

"  Say  to  Captain  Little  that  two  sail  have  been 
sighted.  Evidently  sailing  in  company,  Mr. 
Blakely,"  said  the  officer,  "  and  as  you  pass  tell  the 
quartermaster  of  the  watch  to  fetch  me  my  glass." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  Blakely,  saluting  again, 
and  scampering  as  fast  as  his  small  legs  could  carry 
him.  It  was  astonishing  how  many  times  a  mid- 
shipman had  to  salute  in  the  course  of  a  single 
watch. 

"Ah,  quartermaster!"  said  the  watch  officer  a 
moment  later  as  that  functionary  reported  to  him, 
telescope  in  hand.  "Take  that  glass  up  to  Lang 
on  the  foreto' -gallant  yard  and  see  what  you  and  he 
can  make  out  of  the  sails  reported." 

Meanwhile  the  deck-scrubbing  operations  had 
stopped.  The  men  crowded  forward  in  excited 

6 


THE  BOSTON  CHASES   A   STRANGER 

groups,  dropping  the  holystone  ropes,  holding  the 
squilgees  poised  in  the  air,  while  the  bucket  brigade 
stood  idle  with  the  buckets  balanced  against  the 
rail,  all  deeply  interested  in  the  sails  which  had 
been  reported.  Visions  of  prize  money  danced  in 
their  minds,  for  it  was  hardly  likely  that  the  ships 
were  American,  and  not  likely  either  that  they 
would  be  men-of-war  of  which  the  French  had  but 
few  in  those  waters.  In  a  moment,  however,  Mr. 
Talcott,  the  officer,  became  aware  of  the  cessation 
of  work  and  the  curiosity  of  the  men. 

"  Sink  me  ! "  he  shrieked,  fiercely,  jumping  to  the 
break  of  the  forecastle,  "  what  d'ye  mean  by  jam- 
ming forward  here  like  flies  on  a  lump  of  sugar ! " 
shaking  his  fist  at  the  startled  watch.  "Is  this  a 
convention  or  a  political  meeting  ?  Turn  to  there, 
ye  lubbers !  Get  at  those  decks !  Bear  a  hand 
about  it,  too !  Bo's'n's  mate,  where's  your  colt  ? 
Give  'em  a  touch  of  the  rope's  end.  I  wouldn't 
give  much  for  your  lives  if  the  captain  saw  you 
idling  this  way." 

As  if  they  had  been  galvanized  into  action  the 
men  sprang  to  work  and  the  splashing  of  water 
from  the  buckets  was  followed  by  the  harsh  grind- 
ing of  the  holystones  pulled  to  and  fro  by  the  ropes 
over  the  deck,  and  the  sucking  clasp  of  the  rubber 
tipped  squilgees  drying  after. 

"  I  can  make  'em  out  now,  sir,"  shouted  Lang 
from  the  top-gallant  yard  at  this  juncture. 

"  Avast  that  scrubbing ! "  cried  Talcott  at  once  to 

7 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

the  deck  washers.  "  Keep  fast  all  that  deck  work  ! 
I  can't  hear  myself  think.  What  are  they?"  he 
hailed  aloft. 

"A  ship  an'  a  large  schooner,  sir." 

"What  sort  of  a  ship?" 

"  Looks  like  a  man-o'-war,  sir,  with  a  marchant 
schooner  er  privateer." 

The  men,  undeterred  by  Talcott's  ferocious 
growling  and  threatening  mien,  for  they  knew  that 
officer's  bark  was  much  worse  than  his  bite,  broke 
into  eager  cheers,  waving  their  hats,  hugging  each 
other,  executing  horn-pipes  upon  the  deck,  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  tall  form  of  Captain  Little  sud- 
denly appeared. 

"What's  this?  What's  this?"  he  cried,  sharply. 
"  Are  you  having  a  ball,  Mr.  Talcott,  or  a  political 
caucus  ?  Wreck  me,  sir,  is  a  United  States  ship  to 
be  turned  into  a  dancing  school  ?  To  your  work, 
fellows,  and  don't  splash  me  if  you  don't  want  to 
get  a  dose  of  the  cat !  "  *  he  cried,  tiptoing  over  the 
wet  deck  in  his  polished,  buckled  shoes,  among  the 
men,  who  frantically  sprang  to  work  again,  till  he 
gained  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  followed  by  the 
midshipman. 

"Mr.  Blakely,"  he  added,  "see  that  there  is  no 
shirking  in  the  deck-washing  this  morning.  Now, 
Mr.  Talcott,  you  said  two  sail  had  been  sighted, 
sir?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

*  The  cat-o-nine-tails  used  for  flogging. 
8 


THE  BOSTON  CHASES   A   STRANGER 

"  Where  away  ?  " 

"  Right  ahead,  sir." 

"  What  are  they  ?  " 

"A  ship  and  large  schooner." 

"  Ha  !     Nothing  more  in  sight  ?" 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

"  Who's  on  the  to'-gallant  yard  ?  " 

"Lang,  sir,  and  the  quartermaster." 

"  Aloft  there !  "  shouted  the  captain,  in  a  quick, 
powerful  voice.  "Can  you  make  out  anything 
more  yet  ?  " 

"We  think  they're  French,  sir,  an'  the  ship's  a 
heavily  armed  marchantman  er  man-o'-war,  sure. 
They've  changed  their  course  summat  an'  are  edgin' 
away! "  was  the  reply. 

"How  do  they  bear  now?"  cried  the  captain. 
"  Point ! " 

"  Ha!  So  !"  he  said,  following  the  outstretched 
finger  with  his  gaze.  "  Aft  there  !  Starboard  your 
helm  a  little  !  That's  well."  As  the  ship's  bow 
swept  about  a  little  he  called  out  again.  "Aloft 
there  !  How  does  she  bear  now?" 

"  Right  ahead,  sir." 

"  Very  well  dyce ! "  said  the  captain  turning  aft 
toward  the  helmsman.  "Wheel,  then,  keep  her  as 
she  is,"  he  sang  out,  as  he  made  his  way  aft,  followed 
by  the  watch  officer.  "  We'll  have  a  nearer  look  at 
these  fellows.  Mr.  Talcott,  call  all  hands  at  once, 
sir." 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   BOSTON   TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

PRESENTLY  down  on  the  berth  deck  the  hoarse 
cries  of  the  boatswain's  mates  could  be  heard  sum- 
moning the  men  to  their  stations.  The  news  of  the 
sighting  of  the  two  vessels  ran  through  the  ship  like 
wildfire,  and  the  watch  below  came  tumbling  up 
from  between  decks  half  dressed  in  their  eagerness. 
The  officers,  hastily  putting  on  their  clothing,  also 
ran  to  their  stations.  The  first  lieutenant  seized  the 
trumpet  and  looked  to  the  captain,  who  said  : 

"  I  want  you  to  break  out  the  stuns'ls,  Mr.  Dick- 
inson, and  every  rag  of  canvas  we've  got,  and  clap 
it  on  and  follow  those  ships  ahead,  sir." 

It  was  broad  sun  up  now,  and  the  light  haze  of 
the  autumn  morning  had  disappeared  as  if  by 
magic. 

"  I  can  make  them  out  from  the  deck,  now,  sir," 
ventured  Lieutenant  Talcott.  "  You  can  see  them 
quite  plainly  with  the  glass,  sir,"  he  added,  handing 
the  telescope  to  his  captain,  while  the  crew  busied 
themselves  with  setting  those  airy  wings  which,  be- 
cause they  projected  far  beyond  the  wide  yard  arms 
from  the  light  booms  on  either  side  were  called 
studding  sails,  or,  in  sea  language,  "  stuns'ls."  Used 

10 


THE  BOSTON  TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

in  light  breezes  like  that  prevalent  on  that  morning, 
they  materially  added  to  the  motive  power  of  the 
ship,  and  therefore  increased  her  speed. 

The  Boston  was  a  new  vessel,  made  after  the  best 
American  models,  and  was  therefore  very  swift. 
The  two  vessels  sighted,  however,  about  six  miles 
ahead  when  they  were  first  observed,  were  also  good 
goers.  In  fact  the  schooner,  which  was  the  nearer 
of  the  two  to  the  American,  soon  showed  that  she 
had  the  heels  both  of  her  pursuer  and  her  consort, 
for  she  slipped  away  from  the  one  and  passed  the 
other  almost  as  if  the  two  square  riggers  had  been 
anchored,  but  the  other  ship  enjoyed  no  such  advan- 
tage, for  the  Boston  began  slowly  to  overhaul  her. 
It  was  quite  evident  as  the  morning  wore  on  and 
the  American  approached  nearer  to  the  chase,  that 
the  vessel  ahead  of  them  was  a  large  French  cor- 
vette, although  apparently  no  match  either  in  size 
or  armament  for  the  Boston. 

The  French  ship  made  every  effort  to  escape. 
She,  too,  was  covered  alow  and  aloft  with  stuns'ls, 
and  by  changing  her  direction  from  time  to  time 
her  captain  made  a  comparison  between  the  speed 
of  the  two  ships  on  these  different  courses,  for 
Little,  of  course,  followed  his  every  manoeuvre  ;  but 
in  every  instance  the  American  ship  outfooted  the 
French  cruiser,  and  the  French  were  supposed  to 
build  the  fastest  and  best  modelled  ships  that  floated 
on  the  ocean. 

At  four  bells  in  the  morning  watch  the  schooner 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

was  hull  down  on  the  horizon,  while  the  French  ship 
was  distant  only  about  four  miles.  At  six  bells  the 
Boston  had  gained  so  perceptibly  that  the  chase 
began  to  relieve  herself  by  cutting  away  her  spare 
anchors  and  throwing  overboard  everything  heavy 
and  movable  ;  but,  favored  by  a  slight  increase  in 
the  breeze  and  by  one  or  two  additional  slants  of 
wind,  the  Boston,  which  was  beautifully  handled  by 
her  captain,  a  prime  sailor,  steadily  continued  to 
overhaul  the  fleeing  French  ship.  At  two  o'clock, 
or  four  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch,  scarcely  a  mile 
intervened  between  the  two. 

The  chase  now  began  to  throw  overboard  ballast 
and  spare  spars,  and  at  last  to  cast  adrift  her  boats 
— everything,  in  fact,  that  would  lighten  the  ship 
and  increase  her  chance  of  escape.  On  every  yard 
the  men  were  stationed  wetting  down  the  sails  to 
make  them  hold  the  wind.  In  their  despair  they 
even  started  the  water-casks  and  began  to  discharge 
their  precious  supply.  Neither  vessel  had  as  yet 
shown  any  flag,  although  there  was  no  possibility  of 
disguising  the  character  or  nationality  of  either  of 
them.  The  experienced  officers  on  both  ships  knew 
that  they  were  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy. 

At  seven  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch  Captain 
Little,  who  was  forward,  the  better  to  observe  the 
chase,  directed  the  colors  to  be  shown  and  that  the 
bow  chasers  should  open  fire. 

"  Mr.  Talcott,"  he  said  to  the  lieutenant  who 
commanded  the  forward  division,  "  try  your  barkers 


THE  BOSTON  TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

on  her.     It's  a  long  shot,  but  perhaps  you  can  wing 
her." 

To  wing  her  was  all  that  would  be  necessary,  for 
should  the  Boston  once  get  the  smaller  French  ship 
under  her  guns  the  result  might  be  considered 
certain. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Talcott,  rejoiced  at  being  per- 
mitted to  begin.  4<  Lang  !  "  he  shouted,  to  the 
quarter  gunner  of  his  division,  "you're  the  best 
shot  in  the  division,  have  a  try  at  Monsieur  yonder." 

"  Werry  good,  sir,"  said  Lang,  blowing  the  smok- 
ing loggerhead  or  match  in  his  hand  and  taking  a 
long  squint  over  the  starboard  gun,  which,  by  means  of 
the  side  tackles  and  chocks  and  quoins,  he  trained  and 
elevated  carefully  till  it  bore  on  the  French  ship  to 
his  satisfaction.  Waiting  with  watchful  care,  glanc- 
ing along  the  barrel  of  the  gun  until  the  pitch  of 
the  ship  brought  it  exactly  into  the  right  position, 
he  quickly  stepped  aside  and  applied  the  lighted 
match  to  the  priming.  The  ball  went  hurtling 
over  the  water  just  astern  of  the  chase.  An  instant 
after  the  port  bow  chaser  roared  out  with  no  better 
results. 

"  Good  line  shots,  men,"  said  the  captain,  appre- 
ciatively watching  the  course  of  the  balls,  "  but 
we're  not  quite  in  range  yet  Keep  fast  the  battery. 
Ha,  what's  that  ?  " 

"  That "  was  a  puff  of  smoke  that  broke  out  aft 
from  the  Frenchman,  followed  in  a  few  seconds  by 
the  dull  roar  of  a  cannon. 

13 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  He's  trying  his  metal  on  us,"  said  the  captain, 
as  the  ball  splashed  into  the  water  about  two  cable 
lengths  ahead  of  the  flying  Boston.  He  turned  and 
addressed  the  first  lieutenant.  "  Mr.  Dickinson,  we 
shall  approach  to  port*  of  her.  We'll  be  alongside 
in  a  few  moments.  Man  the  starboard  battery  ! 
Cast  loose  and  provide  !  Keep  fast  your  fire  until 
I  give  the  word.  "  Mr.  Allen,"  he  said  to  the  sail- 
ing-master, whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  the 
sailing  of  the  ship  during  the  engagement,  as  he 
turned  and  walked  aft,  "  as  soon  as  we  get  along- 
side and  the  action  begins,  I  want  your  sail  trim- 
mers to  take  in  those  stuns'ls.  They  will  just 
embarrass  us,  und  we'll  not  need  them  set.  Once 
we  get  her  under  our  broadside  we  won't  let  her  get 
away." 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  said  the  master.  "  I'll  attend 
to  it." 

"There  go  her  colors,"  cried  the  captain. 
"  French,  of  course.  Ha  ! "  his  eyes  sparkling, 
"  we've  got  her  now,  men  ! "  an  announcement 
which  was  greeted  with  mighty  cheers  from  the 
men  in  the  batteries  below  the  poop  on  the  main 
deck.  "  Now,  men,  mind,  no  firing  until  I  give 
the  word ! " 

For  some  fifteen  minutes  the  two  ships  swept 
steadily  on.  Seeing  the  hopelessness  of  escape  the 

*  For  the  better  understanding  of  my  young  readers  and  for  euphony,  I 
have  substituted  the  modern  word  "port"  for  the  ancient  expression 
"larboard." 

14 


THE  BOSTON  TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

French  captain  at  last  gallantly  took  in  his  own 
stuns'ls,  an  example  which  Little  gladly  followed 
instead  of  waiting  for  the  confusion  attending  upon 
the  beginning  of  the  action.  Both  ships  presented 
scenes  of  wild  disorder,  more  apparent  than  real,  for 
a  few  moments,  but  as  the  stuns'ls  came  in  and 
were  stowed  away  the  confusion  subsided  on  the 
American  sloop-of-war,  and  in  perfect  silence  she 
bore  down  on  the  doomed  French  ship. 

The  French  captain  suddenly  put  his  helm  down 
and  bore  up,  making  an  attempt  to  get  a  position 
to  rake,  but  Little,  who  had  gone  aft  to  the  poop, 
promptly  frustrated  his  attempt  by  duplicating  his 
manoeuvre.  The  two  ships  came  up  to  the  wind  on 
the  port  tack  therefore,  the  Boston  to  windward, 
and  at  a  quarter  after  three  they  were  close  aboard. 

"  Ship  ahoy ! "  cried  the  American  captain, 
springing  into  the  mizzen  rigging.  "  What  ship  is 
that?"  ' 

"  Le  Corvette  Le  Berceau,  le  Citoyen  Captain* 
Andre"  Senez"  was  the  reply. 

"  Good,"  said  Little,  turning  to  the  crowd  of 
officers  behind  him.  "  I  know  him  by  reputation. 
He  fought  under  D'Estaing  in  the  Revolution. 
He  is  one  of  the  bravest  officers  in  the  French 
navy,  and  yon  ship's  done  our  commerce  a  deal  of 
damage.  We'll  get  a  good  fight  out  of  him." 

The  two  ships  formed  a  sort  of  bow-and-quarter- 
line  at  the  time,  and  none  of  the  guns  in  their 
broadsides  bore  effectively  at  that  moment.  Both 

15 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

captains  determined  to  wait  until  the  ships  were 
fairly  abreast  of  each  other  before  delivering  their 
fire.  Consequently  there  was  time  for  further  con- 
versation. 

"  What  port  are  you  from  ?  M  asked  Little  through 
the  trumpet. 

"  Cayenne." 

"Whither  bound?" 

"  Cruising.     Vat  sheep  iz  zat  ?" 

"  The  United  States  Ship  Boston,  Captain  George 
Little.  Strike  your  flag,  sir  !  " 

"Nevair!"  cried  the  Frenchman,  shaking  his 
hand  at  his  enemy. 

The  two  ships  were  fairly  abeam. 

"  Tirez  !  Tirez  /  "  cried  the  Frenchman,  suddenly. 

"  Let  her  have  it,  men  ! "  roared  Little,  at  the 
same  instant,  shaking  his  trumpet  toward  the  star- 
board battery. 

The  broadsides  of  the  two  ships  roared  out  simul- 
taneously. As  she  fired,  the  Boston,  being  to  wind- 
ward, sheered  toward  the  Frenchman,  and  the  action 
began  at  half  pistol  shot  distance,  about  seventy- 
five  feet,  or  the  width  of  an  ordinary  street. 

For  two  hours  the  ships  sailed  side  by  side,  at- 
tempts on  the  part  of  either  one  to  close  and  board 
being  frustrated  by  the  vigilance  of  the  other,  as 
they  poured  their  broadsides  upon  each  other  at 
pointblank  range.  The  crew  on  both  sides  had  en- 
joyed but  little  gunnery  practice ;  the  guns  were 
small  (they  were,  of  course,  all  old-fashioned  muzzle- 

16 


THE  BOSTON  TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

loaders,  without  sights  or  gun-locks)  ;  they  had  to  be 
primed  with  loose  powder  and  discharged  by  a  slow 
match  or  a  loggerhead — i.  e.t  a  hot  iron;  consequently 
the  battle  was  a  slow  one. 

By  Little's  orders  the  heavier  American  ship  paid 
particular  attention  to  the  hull  of  her  enemy,  and 
kept  pounding  away  at  the  French  ship  with  cease- 
less persistence,  while  the  French  captain,  desirous 
of  crippling  his  pursuer,  turned  most  of  his  attention 
to  the  American  spars. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  topsail  tyes  of 
the  Boston  having  been  shot  away  in  succession,  the 
yards  came  thundering  down  on  the  caps,  and  the 
ship,  deprived  of  the  vast  spread  of  the  topsails,  the 
most  important  sails,  lost  way  ;  and  as  the  sails  of 
Le  Berceau  still  held  the  wind,  although  she  was 
very  badly  cut  up,  she  began  slowly  to  run  away 
from  the  American.  At  five  minutes  after  six  there 
was  a  lull  in  the  action,  and  the  Frenchman,  now 
some  distance  ahead  and  drawing  slowly  out  of 
range,  congratulated  themselves  that  they  had  at 
last  beaten  off  their  larger  antagonist. 

But  a  very  indomitable  seaman  was  Captain 
George  Little,  of  the  Boston.  Under  his  incite- 
ment his  crew  worked  with  superhuman  energy, 
reeving  new  topsail  halliards,  splicing  the  shattered 
shrouds,  making  the  preventers  take  the  place  of 
the  torn  backstays  and  braces,  until  after  an  hour's 
desperate  work  they  were  in  condition  to  renew  the 
conflict 

17 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Meanwhile  similar  endeavors  had  been  put  forth 
by  the  French  ship,  but  her  own  spars  had  been  too 
badly  wounded  to  enable  her  to  carry  a  press  of 
sail,  and  the  Boston  slowly  began  to  creep  up  on 
her  quarter  again.  At  eight  o'clock  at  night  the 
two  ships  were  once  more  within  easy  range  of  one 
another.  It  was  quite  dark  now,  but  the  ships  were 
so  close  that  the  flashes  of  the  guns  enabled  the 
gunners  to  take  easy  aim,  and  the  conflict  continued 
fiercely  until  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  Again  the 
tactics  of  the  Frenchman  succeeded  in  so  wrecking 
the  American  aloft  that  the  Boston  drifted  out  of 
action  a  second  time. 

Once  more  the  French  ship  drew  ahead,  but  she 
had  barely  got  out  of  gunshot  range  when  her  three 
topmasts,  deprived  of  the  support  of  all  the  shrouds 
and  backstays,  carried  away,  as  did  the  jib-boom. 
The  heavy  hulling  she  had  received  from  the  Boston 
had  cut  to  pieces  her  spare  topmasts  on  the  gallows' 
frames,  and  she  was  without  means  of  repairing  the 
loss.  Her  lower  masts,  carrying  fore  and  main 
sails,  however,  gave  her  enough  way  in  the  water  to 
keep  her  just  ahead  of  the  Boston,  which  remained 
out  of  gunshot  during  the  night  in  spite  of  every 
effort  that  Little  and  his  men  could  make,  although 
they  did  succeed  in  keeping  the  chase  in  sight 

When  day  broke  the  Boston  was  some  distance  to 
leeward  of  the  French  ship,  and  the  crews  of  both 
vessels  were  working  furiously  to  get  them  in  trim, 
the  one  hoping  for  further  fight,  the  other  looking 

18 


THE  BOSTON  TAKES  LE  BERCEAU 

for  a  chance  to  escape.  At  half  after  eleven  in  the 
morning,  however,  the  breeze  having  freshened 
somewhat,  the  foremast  of  the  French  ship,  which 
had  been  terribly  cut  up,  broke  short  off  above  the 
deck  and  fell  to  starboard,  dragging  down  in  its  fall 
the  main  and  mizzen  masts.  Le  Berceau  was  a 
helpless  wreck.  Seeing  this  the  Boston  more  de- 
liberately completed  her  repairs  and  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  came  ranging  up  to  starboard  in 
apparently  as  good  condition  as  ever.  The  men 
were  at  quarters,  the  guns  loaded  and  primed,  and 
the  French  ship  was  completely  at  Little's  mercy. 

Having  defended  himself  heroically  against  a  ship 
more  than  half  as  large  again  as  his  own,  having 
fought  parts  of  two  days  and  oeing  absolutely  with- 
out means  of  further  resistance,  for  the  Boston  could 
now  take  any  position  she  desired  with  reference  to 
Le  Berceau,  Captain  Senez  reluctantly  struck  his 
flag. 

This  most  remarkable  battle,  unequalled  for  the 
persistency  of  both  the  defence,  the  pursuit,  and  the 
attack,  was  over. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    BABY   ON   LE  BERCEAU 

"  MR.  TALCOTT,"  said  Captain  Little  as  the  French 
captain  answered  in  the  affirmative  to  his  hail  to 
know  whether  they  had  surrendered  or  not,  "  take 
Mr.  Blakely  and  the  first  cutter  if  she  is  seaworthy, 
and  go  aboard  the  enemy  and  take  possession." 

"Mr.  Chips,"  said  Talcott,  addressing  the  carpen- 
ter, "  overhaul  the  first  cutter  and  let  me  know  if 
she's  all  right." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  carpenter,  clambering 
up  into  the  boat  swinging  at  the  davits,  which  after 
a  swift  examination  he  pronounced  in  good  order 
and  unharmed  by  the  enemy's  shot. 

"Call  the  first  cutter's  crew,  boatswain's  mate," 
said  Talcott  after  he  received  the  carpenter's  report. 

"  Away,  all  the  first  cutters,  away  ! "  bellowed  the 
boatswain's  mate,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  men, 
heavily  armed  with  cutlass  and  pistol,  came  running 
aft,  cast  off  the  boat  gripes,  sprang  to  their  places 
at  the  thwarts,  while  others  swung  the  cutter  out 
board,  lowered  away  the  falls,  and  dropped  the  boat 
from  the  davits  into  the  smooth  water  alongside. 

"  Mr.  Blakely,"  said  Talcott,  stepping  to  the  gang- 
way, where  the  cutter  was  dropped  backward  to  re- 

20 


THE    BABY   ON  LE   BERCEAU 

ceive  him,  "  Why  the  empty  thwart,  sir,  and  where  is 
your  Cox'un  ?  Two  of  your  men  are  missing. 
Where  are  they,  sir  ?  " 

"  One  is  wounded  and  one  killed,  sir,"  replied 
the  midshipman  attached  to  the  boat. 

"  Too  bad  !  "  said  Talcott.  "  Captain  Little,  may 
I  have  two  other  men  ?  " 

"  Certainly.    Volunteers  here  for  the  first  cutter ! " 

From  the  group  which  pressed  forward  Talcott 
selected  two  men,  one  of  whom  was  our  friend  old 
Jack  Lang,  who  was  detailed  to  act  as  coxswain,  or 
steersman. 

"Mr.  Talcott,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  want  you  to 
do  everything  up  shipshape.  Remember  that  the 
enemy  are  watching  you." 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  said  the  lieutenant,  clambering 
down  the  side  battens.  Taking  his  place  in  the  stern 
sheets  he  called  sharply,  "  Up  oars  ! "  Ten  of  the 
men  in  the  heavy  cutter  simultaneously  tossed  their 
heavy  ash  oars  into  the  air,  holding  them  directly  in 
front  of  them,  the  blades  fore  and  aft.  The  two 
men  in  the  bows  stood  facing  forward  handling  their 
boat  hooks.  At  the  command,  "  Shove  off  ! "  the 
bow  oarsmen  cast  off  the  painter,  dropped  their  boat 
hooks  against  the  side  of  the  Boston,  and  by  a  vigor- 
ous shove  drove  the  boat  clear  of  the  ship. 

"  Let  fall ! "  cried  Talcott. 

The  oars  were  eased  down  gently,  and  as  they 
struck  the  water : 

"  Give  way  ! "  he  added. 


21 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

With  the  precision  and  quick  work  of  well-trained 
oarsmen  they  caught  the  time  as  given  by  the  stroke 
oar,  and  in  a  long,  sweeping,  vigorous  man-o'-war 
stroke  they  pulled  their  way  toward  the  shattered 
French  ship. 

Certainly  no  vessel  ever  presented  a  more  melan- 
choly picture  than  that  which  they  were  approach- 
ing. Looking  at  her  with  the  critical  eye  of  a  sailor, 
Talcott  almost  felt  a  sensation  of  pity  as  he  noted 
the  utter  ruin  caused  to  the  once  beautiful  ship,  by 
the  superior  American  gunnery.  To  begin  with,  not 
a  single  mast  or  spar  was  left  standing.  The  jagged 
stump  of  the  main  mast  alone  protruded  a  few  feet 
above  the  rail.  The  whole  port  side  was  cumbered 
with  a  mass  of  wreckage.  Heavy  spars,  torn  can- 
vas, tangled  cordage  and  rigging  beat  and  hammered 
against  the  sides  with  every  roll  of  the  ship.  The 
dispirited  Frenchmen  had  apparently  made  no  effort 
whatever  to  clear  away  the  wreck  after  the  surren- 
der. Gaping  holes  along  the  engaged  side  permitted 
a  clear  view  of  the  wrecked  interior.  The  battery 
was  ruined.  Every  other  gun  was  dismounted,  car- 
riages had  been  smashed,  and  most  of  the  guns  were 
put  out  of  action.  The  port-holes  had  been  knocked 
into  each  other — in  short,  the  whole  ship  looked  like 
a  hopeless  ruin,  and  her  fine  lines  and  beautiful 
model  only  served  to  accentuate  the  brutal  pounding 
she  had  received. 

"She  looks  bad,  doesn't  she?"  remarked  Talcott 
to  the  midshipman.  There  was  a  note  of  sadness  in 

22 


THE   BABY   ON  LE  EERCEAU 

his  professional  pride  to  see  that  beautiful  and  grace- 
ful creation  of  the  ship  builder's  art  so  mishandled. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  carelessly  replied  the  youngster ;  "  we 
knocked  her  into  a  cocked  hat." 

"  No  wonder  she  struck,"  said  Talcott.  "  Look 
at  the  Boston"  he  added,  turning  his  glance  back  to 
his  own  ship. 

To  an  unskilled  person  she  appeared  much  as  she 
had  before  the  action,  but  the  patches  on  the  sails, 
the  huge  knots  and  rough-and-ready  splices  in  the* 
rigging,  and  the  number  of  gaping  wounds  in  the 
sides,  hastily  patched,  the  shot  holes  temporarily 
plugged,  indicated  that  she  had  by  no  means  come 
off  scatheless.  Still  the  disproportion  in  execution 
on  the  two  combatants  was  not  warranted  by  the 
superior  size  of  the  American  ship.  Her  gunnery 
in  the  long,  hard-fought  action  had  been  simply 
terrific. 

"  Think  we  can  save  her,  Mr.  Talcott  ?  "  ventured 
the*  midshipman. 

"  That  depends  upon  how  many  shot  went  below 
the  water-line.  However,  we'll  soon  know.  I  think 
we  would  better  go  around  to  starboard,  Lang,"  he 
said,  turning  to  the  sailor  who  was  steering.  "  We 
can't  board  her  in  the  midst  of  all  that  raffle.  Pass 
under  her  stern  there.  Port  your  helm  ! " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir." 

"  Back  water  starboard  ! " 

The  heavy  cutter,  under  the  combined  influence  of 
oars  and  helm,  swept  around  the  stern  of  the  prize 

23 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

and  approached  the  starboard  side.  Lang,  with  skil- 
ful handling,  brought  her  gently  to  the  gangway. 
The  oars  were  laid  inboard,  and  Talcott,  followed  by 
Blakely,  Lang,  and  the  rest  of  the  boat  crew,  with 
the  exception  of  the  two  boat-keepers,  scrambled  on 
deck. 

There  the  ruin  was  more  apparent  even  than  it 
had  been  before.  Everything  movable  had  been 
shot  away.  There  was  not  a  boat  that  had  not 
been  shattered.  The  Boston  had  made  a  chopping- 
block  out  of  the  unfortunate  Frenchman.  As  Tal- 
cott appeared  in  the  gangway  an  officer,  pale  and 
bloodstained  from  a  wound  in  the  face,  came  up 
to  him  and,  bowing  profoundly,  tendered  his  sword. 

"Citizen  lieutenant,"  he  said,  in  French,  "the 
fortune  of  war  has  made  my  little  vessel  the  prize 
of  your  great  ship." 

As  it  happened  Talcott  was  an  excellent  French 
scholar,  and  he  replied  courteously  in  the  language 
used  by  the  officer,  as  he  took  his  sword, 

"  I  shall  always  be  ready  to  testify,  monsieur, 
that  it  was  through  no  fault  of  your  own,  for  I 
never  saw  a  more  gallant  defence.  Now,  sir,  will 
you  tell  us  again  the  name  of  this  ship  ?  " 

"  Le  Berceau,  citizen,"  answered  the  Frenchman, 
"and  I  am  Captain  Andre"  Senez.  Tis  not  my 
first  acquaintance  with  your  beautiful  flag,  citizen 
lieutenant,"  he  added,  "for  I  was  a  midshipman 
under  Admiral  D'Estaing  when  we  helped  you  gain 
your  independence." 


The  surrender  of  Le  Berceau. 


THE   BABY   ON  LE   BERCEAU 

There  was  a  world  of  reproach  in  the  meaning 
glance,  which  accompanied  these  apparently  simple 
words.  Talcott  flushed  hotly  as  he  replied  : 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  monsieur,  I  hardly  know 
what  we  are  at  war  about." 

"  Quite  so,"  answered  the  French  captain,  "  and  I 
am  equally  in  the  dark.  It  seems  strange  that  the 
two  great  republics  of  the  earth  should  be  at 
swords'  points." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Talcott,  "  doesn't  it  ?  However, 
monsieur,  all  this  is  no  present  concern  of  ours,  and 
I  have  my  duty  to  perform.  Captain  Little  of  my 
ship,  the  Boston,  requests  you  to  go  aboard  at 
once." 

"At  your  pleasure,  my  lieutenant,"  answered 
Senez,  sadly.  "  I  must  of  course,  do  what  you 
say." 

"  What  are  your  casualties  ?  " 

"  The  republic  has  lost  four  brave  citizen  sailors 
killed  and  seventeen  equally  brave  citizen  sailors 
wounded." 

"  Do  you  need  anything  for  {hem  ?  " 

"No,  citizen,  our  citizen  surgeon  has  made  them 
as  comfortable  as  possible."  . 

"  Very  good,"  answered  Talcott.  "  Have  you  a 
boat  left  that  will  swim  ?  " 

"Alas,  no,  citizen,"  answered  the  Frenchman. 

Talcott  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  stepped 
over  to  the  rail,  hollowed  his  hand  and  hailed  the 
Boston. 

•5 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Ahoy  the  Boston!  " 

"  Ahoy  the  prize ! "  answered  Captain  Little 
himself,  springing  up  on  the  mizzen  sheer  poles  the 
better  to  see. 

"  They  have  four  men  killed  and  seventeen 
wounded,"  answered  Talcott.  "  The  ship's  a  per- 
fect wreck.  She  hasn't  a  boat  left  that  will  float. 
There  are  two  hundred  men  on  board  of  her." 

"  Will  she  float  herself  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

After  a  rapid  exchange  of  questions  and  answers 
with  Senez,  Talcott  replied: 

"  I  think  so.  She  is  making  water  slightly,  but  I 
think  we  can  patch  her  up.  I  would  suggest  send- 
ing over  boats  to  take  off  the  prisoners." 

"  Very  good ;  it  shall  be  attended  to,"  said  the 
captain,  turning  inboard  and  giving  a  word  or  two 
of  command,  which  were  followed  by  hasty  move- 
ments on  the  Boston,  and  the  launch  of  such  of 
their  boats  as  were  seaworthy  for  the  purpose  of 
transshipping  the  French  prisoners. 

Meanwhile  Talcott  set  himself  to  put  the  prize  to 
rights  and  directed  Lang  to  take  charge  of  his  own 
boat  crew  and  to  cut  away  the  wreck  with  the 
French  boarding  axes  which  were  to  be  had  in  the 
arm  chests.  It  was  a  tremendous  job  for  a  dozen 
men  to  undertake,  and  the  American  seamen,  who 
could  speak  a  sort  of  patois  lingua  Fran9a  of  the 
Mediterranean,  endeavored  to  get  the  French  sea- 
men to  assist  them. 

"  Here,  ye  frog-eatin'  lubbers ! "  cried  Lang  in 

26 


THE   BABY   ON  LE  BERCEAU 

desperation  at  last.  ' '  Bear  a  hand  here  an'  give  us 
a  lift  at  clearin'  away  this  raffle  ! " 

His  tone  was  imperious  and  his  manner  more  so. 

"  Hold  on  ! "  cried  Captain  Senez,  who  saw  his 
action,  and,  having  learned  English  in  his  youth, 
easily  made  out  his  meaning.  "  Tis  not  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  equality  of  the  French 
Republic  to  address  the  brave  citizen  seamen  of 
that  Republic  so  imperatively,  citizen  American." 

"  '  Citizen  American  ! '  Well,  I'll  be  jiggered  ! " 
growled  Lang  in  surprise  at  this  fantastic  remark. 

"  Precisely.  On  this  ship  all  are  equals,"  inter- 
rupted the  French  captain,  who  understood  per- 
fectly, it  seemed. 

"  Ekals  on  a  man-o'-war  ?  "  shouted  the  Ameri- 
can sailor,  incredulously. 

"  Yes,  citizens  everywhere,"  returned  the  French- 
man, equably. 

"  That's  why  you  git  licked  so  often  and  so  easy," 
growled  Lang,  in  despair  at  such  a  subversive  the- 
ory of  government  for  a  man-of-war,  as  he  sprang 
at  the  mass  of  wreckage,  boarding-axe  in  hand. 
"  Ekality's  werry  well  ashore.  This  yere  republican 
business  is  good  enough  fer  land  lubbers,  but  if  ye 
want  a  smart  ship  ye'll  have  to  git  rid  of  that  ekality 
notion.  I  don't  like  it,  fer  one.  Wot !  me  an'  the 
cap'n  ekals  ! "  he  continued,  whacking  away  at  a 
jagged  spar. 

There  was  much  rude  philosophy  in  his  remarks, 
and  after  the  French  navy  had  been  thoroughly 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

beaten  a  vast  number  of  times  by  the  ships  of  all 
nations  who  engaged  her  they  learned  what  Lang 
said  was  true. 

Captain  Senez  now  invited  Talcott  and  Blakely  to 
go  below  to  his  cabin  while  he  got  his  baggage  to- 
gether, and  to  partake  of  such  hospitality  as  he  could 
offer.  As  the  lieutenant  put  foot  on  the  companion- 
way  he  was  startled  by  a  sound  rarely  heard  on 
board  a  man-of-war.  It  was  the  shrill  cry  of  a  very 
young  child — a  baby,  in  fact ! 


CHAPTER   IV 

JACK    LANG   IS   APPOINTED    HEAD    NURSE 

"  WELL,  I'll  be  jiggered  ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Tal- 
cott,  turning  to  the  captain  as  the  significance  of  the 
cry  dawned  upon  him.  "  That's  a  baby,  surely  ! 
Do  French  ships  carry  babies  as  part  of  their  com- 
plement, sir  ?  Is  that  another  new  republican 
idea  ?  " 

"  Alas,  no,  citizen  captain,"  answered  the  French- 
man, smiling  faintly.  "  This  is,  I  fear,  a  compatriot 
of  your  own." 

"  I  don't  understand." 

"  'Tis  very  simple,"  said  the  Frenchman,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders,  "  three  days  ago  we  picked  up  a 
boat  on  which  we  found  a  woman  and  this  poor  in- 
fant. They  were  both  nearly  dead,  but  revived 
somewhat  under  the  careful  treatment  of  the  citizen 
surgeon,  but  the  mind  of  the  poor  citizeness  did  not 
come  back  with  returning  health.  We  know  not 
who  she  is,  and  we  grieve  to  tell  you  that  a  shot 
from  your  ship  late  last  night  put  her  out  of  her 
misery." 

"  I  see,"  said  Talcott.     "  And  the  baby  ?  " 

"  I  think  he  is  hungry,  citizen." 

"  Why  haven't  you  fed  him  ?  " 

29 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  My  lieutenant,  we  have  nothing,  no  milk,  noth- 
ing. I  am  not  experienced  in  babies.  We  have 
been  so  busy  trying  to  get  away  there  has  not  been 
time " 

"  There  he  goes  again,"  interrupted  Talcott  as  the 
baby  piped  up  shrilly  once  more.  "  Poor  little  ras- 
cal !  What  on  earth  shall  we  do  with  him  ?  Mr. 
Blakely,  I  suppose  you  have  not  had  much  experi- 
ence with  babies  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  the  midshipman,  solemnly. 
"  I  never  had  any  of  my  own." 

"There,  there,  Mr.  Blakely,  that  will  d<  .  I  only 
thought  it  being  such  a  short  period  sine?. you  were 
a — er — I  wonder  if  any  of  the  men  have  had  expe- 
rience with  them  ?  " 

"  Jack  Lang  is  married,  sir,"  answered  the  mid- 
shipman rather  huffily,  on  account  of  his  officer's 
slighting  remarks  ;  "  perhaps  he  knows." 

"  Fetch  him  here,"  said  Talcott. 

"  Lang  !  "  called  out  Blakely,  "  you're  wanted  aft 
to  take  care  of  a  baby." 

"  Wot !  "  cried  Lang,  greatly  astonished,  in  fact 
almost  falling  overboard  in  his  confusion.  "  Me, 
sir  !  To  take  keer  of  a  babby  !  " 

"  This  habit  of  talking  back  will  be  the  death  of 
you,  Lang,"  called  out  Talcott,  shortly.  "  Lay  aft 
here  at  once,  sirrah  !  There's  a  baby  on  board. 
Didn't  you  hear  him  pipe  up  ?  Can't  you  hear  him 
now  ?  Are  you  deaf,  man  ?  Did  you  never  hear  a 
baby  cry  before  ?  D'ye  think  it  is  the  boatswain's 

30 


JACK   LANG  APPOINTED   HEAD    NURSE 

whistle  ?  I  understand  that  you  have  had  babies  of 
your  own." 

"  Ay,  sir,  I  have.     Three  on  'em." 

41  Well,  then,  I'll  detail  you  temporarily  to  nurse 
this  blasted  infant.  That  will  do  !  Come  below 
here.  We'll  have  a  look  at  it." 

"  Well,  may  I  be  horn  swoggled  ! "  muttered  Lang 
under  his  breath,  as  he  reluctantly  followed  the  of- 
ficer down  the  ladder  amid  the  laughter  and  deris- 
ive cheers  of  the  Americans  on  board  the  ship.  "  I 
didn't  sign  no  ship's  articles  to  nuss  no  babbies 
wotsumever.  If  the  truth  was  knowed  I  think 
'twas  to  git  away  from  'em  that  I  shipped  fer  the 
cruise." 

For  all  his  resentment,  however,  the  sailor  took 
good  care  that  no  one  heard  him  except  the  mid- 
shipman. Discipline  on  ships  of  war  in  that  day 
was  of  the  very  sternest  character,  and  enforced  in 
the  most  brutal  way,  and  rank  was  spelled  with  a 
big  "  r  "  and  officer  with  a  very  round  "  o  "  indeed. 
There  was  not  a  whit  of  equality  on  an  American 
or  English  ship.  Most  of  the  American  officers 
had  been  recruited  from  the  merchant  service,  and 
they  were  prompt  to  enforce  discipline  by  the  aid 
of  a  marline-spike  or  a  clenched  fist  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation. 

Talcott  would  have  thought  nothing  of  kicking 
Lang  down  the  hatchway,  or  knocking  him  over 
with  his  fist,  or  anything  else  that  came  handy,  and 
it  would  have  been  certain  and  sudden  death  for  the 
\  31 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

sailor  to  resist  Yet  Talcott  was  an  exceptionally 
kind  and  considerate  officer  for  his  day,  and  one 
well  liked  by  his  men.  Things  on  American 
warships  are  greatly  different  now ;  the  men  are 
well  treated,  and  that  they  are  human  beings  entitled 
to  every  consideration  is  recognized  by  alh  Bad  as 
things  were  in  that  day  they  were  much  better  than 
on  the  ships  of  other  nations,  and  American  crews, 
comparatively  speaking,  were  well  treated.  Even 
on  Le  Berceau,  with  all  the  equality  notions  in  the 
air,  things  were  bad  for  the  men. 

The  little  party  were  soon  in  the  cabin.  Lying 
on  a  transom  was  the  body  of  a  woman.  As  he 
stepped  over  to  her  Talcott  took  off  his  hat,  an 
example  which  Blakely  and  Lang  instantly  followed. 
The  woman's  face  had  been  beautiful.  Great  masses 
of  dark  hair  were  tangled  about  her  pale  brow. 
She  was  emaciated  to  a  terrible  degree.  She  had 
evidently  suffered  severely  from  starvation  and 
exposure  before  she  had  been  rescued,  and  the  few 
days  of  comparative  comfort  which  she  had  passed 
on  the  French  vessel  had  not  sufficed  to  restore  her 
vigor.  Her  figure  was  very  inadequately  dressed 
in  make-shift  garments  improvised  from  officers' 
uniforms  and  bed  linen. 

"  She  had  almost  nothing  on,  citizen,"  said  the 
French  captain,  noting  the  officer's  curious  glance 
at  her  apparel.  "  When  we  picked  her  up  she  wore 
nothing  save  a  night-robe,  or  wrapper." 

"  Poor  woman,"  said  Talcott,  as  he  looked  again. 

32 


JACK   LANG  APPOINTED   HEAD    NURSE 

"  Poor  lady,"  he  added.  "  Haven't  you  a  sheet  or 
something  to  cover  her  face  with  ?" 

"  Certainly,  certainly,"  said  Senez,  stepping  into 
his  own  berth  and  bringing  one  out. 

"  It  seems  more  decent,  you  know,"  said  Talcott, 
pityingly,  "to  cover  her  up."  He  drew  the  linen 
over  her  very  carefully.  "There  was  nothing  to 
tell  who  she  was  ?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all." 

"  No  name  on  her  clothes?" 

"  Nothing  but  the  letter  '  D '  embroidered  upon 
them." 

"And  the  baby?" 

"There  it  is." 

As  the  lieutenant  turned  his  gaze  aft  he  saw  the 
infant,  which  had  stopped  crying,  blinking  up  at 
him  from  a  pile  of  blankets  in  a  corner  on  the  cabin 
floor.  As  he  stooped  over  it,  the  baby,  which  had 
been  persistently  sucking  his  little  fist  as  if  in  the  ef- 
fort he  could  extract  something  nourishing,  broke 
into  another  series  of  piteous  cries. 

"Good  Lord!"  muttered  the  lieutenant,  "what 
shall  we  do  with  it  ?  Lang,  I've  detailed  you  to 
nurse  this  infant.  What  do  you  suggest  ?" 

Lang  scratched  his  head  dubiously. 

"Well,  ye  see,  sir,  I've  got  three  children,  but  I 
allus  watched  'em  with  the  ole  woman  handy,  an' 
w'en  anythin'  occurred,  w'en  they  got  bilged,  er 
brung  up  on  a  lee  shore  as  it  was,  er  w'en  they  needed 
waterin'  er  prowisionin',  she  was  allus  there  to  take 

33 


IN  THE  WASP'S  NEST 

command.     The  fact  is,  sir,  I  warn't  much  more'n 
a  kind  of  bo's'n's  mate." 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  Blakely,  "  I  think  it  wants 
something  to  eat." 

"  Right  O  !  Mr.  Blakely.  Nine  times  out  o'  ten 
w'en  a  babby  cries  he  wants  somethin'  to  eat,  an* 
nine  times  out  o'  ten  w'en  a  man's  in  trouble  an' 
goes  bellerin'  round,  it's  the  same  thing,"  responded 
Lang,  with  voluble  assurance. 

"  Well,  what  do  babies  usually  eat  ?  "  asked  Tal- 
cott. 

"  Milk,  sir,"  volunteered  Blakely. 

"Oh,  that  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Well,  where'll  we  get  any  milk  out  here  a 
thousand  miles  from  land  ?  You  haven't  a  cow  on 
board,  Captain  Senez  ?  " 

"  Alas,  no,  citizen." 

"  How  would  a  piece  of  fat  pork  do  for  him  to 
chew  on  ?  "  suggested  the  lieutenant,  desperately. 

"  'Twouldn'  do  at  all,  I  thinks,  beggin'  yer  pardon, 
sir,"  answered  Lang.  "  Wot  this  yere  babby  wants 
is  soft  tack." 

"  Give  him  some  lobscouse,  then,"  said  Talcott. 
"Mr.  Blakely,  step  forward  and  see  if  you  can't 
get  hold  of  the  ship's  cook  and  get  him  to " 

"  Citizen  lieutenant,"  interrupted  the  French  cap- 
tain, as  a  little  fat  doctor  came  bustling  into  the 
cabin,  "  permit  me  to  introduce  to  you  the  citizen 
surgeon.  Possibly  he  can  assist  you." 

34 


JACK   LANG  APPOINTED   HEAD   NURSE 

"  We're  in  a  dilemma,  doctor,"  said  Talcott, 
bluntly;  "perhaps you  can  help  us  out.  What's  the 
matter  with  this  infant  ?  " 

"  I  should  imagine,  citizen  lieutenant,"  said  the 
surgeon,  "  that  he  is  hungry." 

"  Well,  what  shall  we  feed  him  ?  " 

4<  My  practice,  my  lieutenant,  has  been  among 
men  hitherto.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  know  but 
little  about  infants,  but  I  should  suggest  something 
soft." 

"  Just  what  my  man  here  says,"  said  Talcott.  "  He 
says  lobscouse." 

"  What  is  that  ?  Lobscouse  ?  I  do  not  know 
the  word." 

"  Why,  hardtack,  you  know,  softened  with  water 
and  a  bit  of  salt  added,  and  if  you  have  a  little  dab 
of  grease  "  (a  pat  of  butter)  "  so  much  the  better." 

"  We  have  the  butter,  citizen  ;  at  least  we  did  have 
before  we  met  you,  but  one  of  your  shot  played 
havoc  with  our  cabin  store-room,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the — pardon,  what  you  call  it — scouse  ? 
— will  be  the  best  thing  for  the  poor  infant." 

"  Well,"  said  Talcott,  greatly  relieved.  "  Mr. 
Blakely,  you  will  have  the — er — food  prepared  at 
once.  Lang,  I  will  leave  the  baby  with  you.  No, 
thank  you,  Captain  Senez,  no  wine  now.  I  have 
spent  so  much  time  over  this  baby  business  that  I 
have  to  go  on  deck,  and  I  shall  ask  you  to  come 
with  me.  You  must  go  aboard  the  Boston  in  the 
first  boat." 

35 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

When  Talcott  regained  the  deck  the  first  of  the 
boats  of  the  Boston  was  already  alongside.  Giving 
the  necessary  directions  looking  to  the  transshipment 
of  the  French  crew,  the  lieutenant  stepped  to  the 
side  of  the  ship  and  once  more  hailed  the  Boston. 
When  Captain  Little  appeared  on  the  rail  in  answer 
to  his  call  he  imparted  the  astonishing  information 
that  they  had  not  only  captured  a  ship,  but  a  baby 
as  well. 

"  Captain  Little  !  "  he  cried. 

"Well,  what  now?" 

"  I  have  to  report,  sir,  that  this  ship  is  well  named 
Le  Berceau" 

"How  is  that,  sir?" 

The  two  ships  were  close  enougn  now  to  allow 
the  conversation  to  be  carried  on  in  an  ordinary  tone 
of  voice. 

"  Why,  sir,"  answered  Talcott,  "  the  meaning  of 
the  word  Berceau  is  cradle,  and  the  fact  is  they  have 
a  baby  on  board." 

"  A  baby,  sir  ?     What  d'ye  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  just  an  ordinary  baby,  sir." 

"  Is  it  alive  ?  " 

"  It  is,  very  much  so." 

"  Whose  baby  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir." 

"  Where  is  its  mother,  or  father  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  its  father.  Its 
mother  is  aboard  her,  dead." 

"  Good  heavens,  is  it  possible  ?  "  cried  Little,  in  a 

36 


JACK   LANG  APPOINTED   HEAD    NURSE 

shocked  voice,  taking  off  his  hat  as  he  spoke,  out 
of  respect  to  the  dead. 

"  She  was  picked  up  three  days  ago  in  an  open 
boat  with  the  baby,  and  one  of  our  shot  killed  her 
last  night." 

"  Is  it  an  American  baby  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  at  least  it  cries  like  one." 

"  What  have  you  done  with  it  ?" 

"  Haven't  done  anything  with  it  yet,  sir.  It's  down 
below  now,  and  we  are  feeding  it  lobscouse." 

"Who's  taking  care  of  it?" 

"Jack  Lang,  sir." 

"  He'll  make  a  healthy  nurse!"  roared  the  cap- 
tain, and,  in  spite  of  discipline  and  everything  else, 
the  ship  rang  with  laughter. 

Jack  Lang  had  heard  the  whole  conversation  from 
where  he  sat  near  an  open  port-hole  in  the  cabin, 
holding  the  baby  awkwardly  on  his  knee,  feeding 
it  bits  of  the  'scouse,  artistically  prepared  by  the 
French  cook,  an  article  of  diet  which  the  hungry  in- 
fant was  greedily  absorbing  by  the  way.  The  old 
man's  bronzed  face  flushed  a  darker  hue  as  he  heard 
the  gibing  laughter.  He  stopped  his  awkward  at- 
tempts at  feeding  his  poor  little  charge  and  shook 
his  fist  in  the  air  in  a  way  that  boded  ill  for  the  jeer- 
ers  when  they  came  within  reach  of  his  arm. 

"  I'll  be  danged  if  I'll  do  it !  I  didn't  sign  no 
articles  of  war  that  a  sailorman  would  be  a  female 
nuss,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  to  be  a  nuss,  nuther." 

Then  as  he  looked  down  at  the  drawn,  pinched 

37 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

face  of  the  little  bit  of  helpless  humanity  which  was 
greedily  sucking  away  at  the  'scouse,  his  heart 
softened.  In  that  mood  it  needed  but  a  glance  at 
the  still  form  of  the  woman  under  the  sheet  to 
change  his  mind. 

"  I  don't  keer  wot  they  says,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self, "  me  an'  this  youngster  is  shipmates  an'  mess- 
mates now  fer  the  rest  of  our  cruise.  I'll  take  keer 
on  you,  babby,"  he  whispered,  laying  his  huge  hand 
tenderly  on  the  downy  little  head. 

The  baby  smiled  at  him  confidently  as  he  looked 
down  upon  it,  and  that  was  reward  enough  for  old 
Jack  Lang.  Henceforth  the  infant  had  a  devoted 
follower  for  life  in  the  veteran  sailor. 


CHAPTER  V 

LANG  AND  THE  BABY  BERTH  WITH  THE  CAPTAIN 

IT  was  late  in  the  first  dog  watch  before  the  trans- 
shipment of  the  prisoners  from  the  prize  to  the  Bos- 
ton was  completed.  The  last  boat  that  came  off 
from  Le  Berceau  brought  the  dead  body  of  the  poor 
mother  and  the  little  baby,  who  was  tenderly  if 
awkwardly  held  in  the  arms  of  its  old  sailorman 
nurse,  Jack  Lang.  Captain  Little  had  concluded 
that  the  infant  could  be  better  cared  for  on  the  Bos- 
ton than  on  the  dismantled  French  ship. 

The  prize  crew  had  been  working  assiduously 
meanwhile.  They  had  cleared  away  the  wreck, 
rigged  up  a  jury  mast  forward  out  of  the  Bostons 
spare  spars,  patched  up  the  shot  holes  roughly,  and 
got  the  ship  in  such  a  condition  that  she  was  sea- 
worthy, after  they  had  finished  with  her,  and  could 
make  St.  Kitts  without  difficulty,  unless  it  came 
on  to  blow,  of  which  there  was  no  present  indica- 
tion. 

Talcott  and  Blakely  were  in  the  boat  with  Lang 
and  the  baby.  The  third  lieutenant  and  another 
midshipman  had  been  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the 
prize  with  another  crew.  The  sight  of  old  Jack  Lang 
awkwardly  huddled  up  aft,  gingerly  yet  proudly 

39 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

holding  the  baby  on  his  knee,  would  have  provoked 
the  laughter  of  his  fellows  had  it  not  been  for  the 
sight  of  the  dead  body  of  the  poor  woman  lying  in 
the  stern  sheets.  When  the  boat  came  alongside 
the  body  was  first  hoisted  on  board  by  means  of  a 
top-burton,  then  followed  by  Talcott  and  Blakely, 
and  next  by  Lang,  tightly  clasping  the  baby  to  his 
breast  with  one  arm  and  clambering  up  the  battens 
with  some  difficulty  on  account  of  his  burden.  After 
that  the  crew  scrambled  aboard,  with  the  exception 
of  a  man,  to  attach  the  tackle  blocks.  The  boat 
was  then  dropped  aft,  the  falls  hooked  on,  and  she 
was  run  smartly  up  to  the  davits. 

Captain  Little  met  the  party  at  the  gangway. 
On  the  lee  side  of  the  quarter-deck  the  bodies  of  the 
dead  seamen,  French  and  American,  four  of  each, 
were  ranged  in  a  line.  They  had  been  sewed  up  in 
new  clean  hammocks,  each  one  weighted  with  round 
shot,  and  were  ready  for  burial.  The  men  of  the 
cutter,  of  course,  immediately  went  forward  as  soon 
as  they  got  aboard.  The  lieutenant,  the  midship- 
man, and  the  sailor  with  the  baby  stood  awkwardly 
at  the  gangway,  the  dead  body  of  the  woman  lying 
at  their  feet. 

"  Bo's'n's  mate,"  said  the  captain,  taking  off  his 

hat,  "  I  wish  you  would  take  the  body  of  this " 

— he  bent  over  and  lifted  the  covering  from  the 
woman's  face,  examined  her  carefully  for  a  mo- 
ment— "  this  lady,"  he  added,  "  aft  to  my  cabin. 

Then  tell  the  sailmaker  to  break  out  a  new  ham- 

40 


THE   BABY   WITH   THE   CAPTAIN 

mock  and  stand  by  to  sew  her  up  like  the  rest 
This  is  the  baby,  I  suppose,  Mr.  Talcott  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Ahem  ! "  said  the  captain,  dubiously.  "  Let's 
have  a  look  at  it,  Lang." 

The  sailor  held  it  up  gingerly  while  Captain  Lit- 
tle inspected  it  with  a  great  deal  of  awe  and  uncer- 
tainty in  his  gaze. 

"  What  the  dickens  is  to  be  done  with  it,  I  won- 
der ? "  he  muttered,  anxiously.  "  It  seems  like  a 
fine  child,  eh,  Mr.  Talcott?" 

"Yes,  sir,  very  fine.  I  have  not  had  much  ex- 
perience with  children,  but  Mr.  Blakely  says " 

"  Umph  !  Ahem  ! "  said  the  captain,  looking 
severely  down  at  the  midshipman,  who  turned  very 
red  at  being  brought  forward  so  prominently  in 
connection  with  a  baby.  "  So  you  think  it  is  a  fine 
child,  do  you,  Mr.  Blakely?  Ha!  A  fellow- 
feeling,  I  suppose,  sir,"  continued  the  captain,  with  a 
grin  at  his  own  humor,  at  the  like  of  which  no  mid- 
shipman afloat  could  have  dared  to  take  offence  in 
his  captain.  "  And  it's  a  boy,  you  say,  Talcott  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     So  Captain  Senez  said." 

Captain  Little  extended  his  forefinger  and  prod- 
ded the  infant  gently  in  the  ribs.  Its  little  stomach 
having  been  filled  with  the  'scouse,  it  had  been  lying 
half  asleep  in  Lang's  arms,  but  the  touch,  which  was 
perhaps  harder  than  the  captain  had  imagined, 
awakened  the  child,  which  immediately  burst  into  a 
terrible  howl.  The  captain  dropped  his  hand  in- 

41 


IN  THE  WASP'S   NEST 

stantly  and  staggered  back  against  the  rail  utterly 
aghast 

"  Wha — wha — what's  the  matter  with  it  ? "  he 
gasped  out  at  last. 

"  Beggin'  yer  honor's  pardon,  sir,"  ventured  Lang, 
with  all  the  pride  of  a  nurse  in  her  prote'ge',  "  I 
don't  think  he  likes  strangers,  sir ;  he " 

"  You  ass ! "  said  the  captain,  wrathfully,  "  aren't 
you  as  much  of  a  stranger  to  him  as  I  am  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  in  course,  sir,  but  I've  fed  him,  sir,  an' 
I  reckon  he  knows  me." 

"It's  a  tribute  the — er — infant  pays  to  your 
authority,  Captain  Little,"  audaciously  ventured 
Talcott. 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course,  I  suppose  so.  Can't  you 
hush  the  thing  up  ?  "  he  cried,  turning  to  the  sailor. 

"  I'm  doin'  the  best  I  can,  sir,"  answered  the 
Jackie,  tossing  the  baby  up  and  down  with  much 
effort,  turning  very  red  in  the  process,  the  whole 
crew  looking  on  with  vivid  and  increasing  interest. 
The  sweat  fairly  poured  off  the  old  man's  forehead 
in  truth,  as  he  awkwardly  tried  to  soothe  the  child's 
cries. 

"  Good  Lord  ! "  he  burst  out  at  last,  in  much 
embarrassment,  "  I  wish  my  ol'  woman  was  here. 
She'd  know  wot  to  do  with  this  kid." 

"  Well,  she  isn't  here,"  said  the  captain,  "  and  I'd 
like  to  know  what  you're  going  to  do  with  it." 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  small  midshipman, 
timorously,  "perhaps  he  is  hungry  again." 

42 


THE   BABY   WITH   THE   CAPTAIN 

"  Quite  likely,  Mr.  Blakely.  A  good  idea,  sir. 
There's  more  in  you  than  one  would  suspect.  Go 
forward  and  tell  the  cook  to  fix  up  something  to 
choke  his  luff  with  as  soon  as  possible.  'Scouse, 
duff,  anything,  for  heaven's  sake  !  Meanwhile  you 
would  better  take  it  below,  Lang." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  miserable  but  deter- 
mined sailor,  while  the  baby  continued  screaming 
louder  than  ever,  "  Where'll  I  take  it  ?  " 

"  Take  it  anywhere  so  you  can  belay  its  jaw 
tackle  !  It'll  ruin  the  discipline  of  the  ship  ! "  roared 
the  captain  almost  as  red-faced  and  embarrassed  as 
Lang,  as  he  noticed  the  amused  expression  on  the 
faces  of  officers  and  men. 

"  Shall  I  take  it  for'ard,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  of  course  not.  How's  the  ward  room,  Mr. 
Talcott  ?  " 

"No  room  there,  sir,  I  should  say.  There  will 
be  so  many  of  us  there,  you  know,  with  the  French 
officers,  and  the  junior  lieutenants  are  already  swing- 
ing hammocks.  We've  no  room  for  it  there." 

"  Well,  take  it  to  the  steerage  then,  eh,  Mr. 
Blakely?" 

Blakely  looked  much  disgusted  at  the  prospect, 
but  had  not  rank  enough  to  remonstrate,  so  he 
meekly  answered, 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  If  I  mought  be  so  bold,  yer  honor,"  timorously 
ventured  Lang,  looking  hesitatingly  at  his  captain. 

"  Speak  out,  man,  speak  out !     By  gad  !  "  roared 

43 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Little,  glad  to  vent  his  embarrassment  on  the  sailor, 
"  there's  not  a  more  talkative  man  on  the  ship  !  I 
did  well  to  make  you  a  nurse.  You  can  reel  off 
more  unstoppered  language  in  a  single  tack  than  a 
dozen  women  !  What  d'ye  suggest  ?  " 

"  Your  cabin,  sir." 

"  Great  heaven  !  Am  I  to  spend  the  rest  of  this 
cruise  with  that  infant  howling  in  my  ear  ?  " 

"  I'll  keep  him  quiet,  sir." 

"  Yes,  you're  keeping  him  quiet  now,  aren't  you  ?  M 

For  a  wonder  the  baby  at  that  moment,  to  the 
relief  of  everyone  stopped  crying  as  suddenly  as  it 
had  begun. 

"  He's  all  right  now,  sir,"  observed  Lang,  tri- 
umphantly. 

"  But  for  how  long  ? "  muttered  the  captain,  in 
deeper  disgust.  "  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Dick- 
inson ?  "  he  asked,  looking  at  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  I  think  that's  the  best  place  for  him,  sir.  You 
know  you  have  a  spare  cabin.  The  midshipmen  are 
a  lot  of  harum-scarum  young  fools  and  heaven  knows 
what  would  happen  to  him  there.  There  are  enough 
babies  in  the  steerage  anyway,"  he  added,  looking 
severely  at  little  Blakely.  "  You  couldn't  send  a 
baby  like  that  for'ard  among  the  men,  sir.  There's 
no  room  in  the  ward-room  and  I " 

"  Oh,  dash  it  all  ! "  said  the  captain,  giving  up, 
"  take  him  below,  and  if  I  hear  a  word  out  of  you, 
Lang,  or  out  of  the  infant  either,  by  heavens,  I'll 
chuck  you  both  overboard  !  Poor  little  thing ! 

44 


THE   BABY   WITH    THE   CAPTAIN 

Now,  Mr.  Talcott,  if  you  will  come  with  me,  we'll 
overhaul  the  poor  lady's  effects  and  see  if  we  can 
find  anything  as  to  who  she  is  and  where  she 
comes  from.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Dickinson,  swing  the 
yards  and  get  under  way.  We  will  stand  by  the 
prize  until  to-morrow  morning,  or  until  we  see  how 
the  weather  is.  Set  the  watches  and  turn  the  men 
to.  What  are  you  gaping  at  for'ard  there,  you 
blasted  idiots  ? "  he  shouted  fiercely  to  the  men, 
who  were  crowded  in  dense  masses  in  the  gangway 
nearest  the  captain.  "  Break  out  of  that  gangway 
and  get  to  your  stations  !  Mr.  Dickinson,  can't 
you  find  anything  for  these  loafers  to  do  ?  By 
heavens,  sir,  I'll  send  the  whole  crew  to  the  to'- 
gallant  yard ! "  he  continued,  shaking  his  fist  furi- 
ously at  the  men,  who  fairly  fell  over  themselves  to 
get  out  of  his  way. 

Then  he  turned  and  followed  Mr.  Talcott  and 
young  Blakely,  who,  though  he  had  not  been  invited, 
recklessly  thrust  himself  in  with  the  others  because 
he  already  felt  a  responsibility  for  the  little  castaway. 
Such  was  the  captain's  perturbation  that  he  actually 
failed  to  notice  the  presumption. 

Captain  Little  and  Mr.  Talcott  reverently  exam- 
ined the  body  of  the  poor  mother.  There  was  a 
great  gaping  wound  in  her  fair  young  breast  where 
a  piece  of  langridge  from  the  Boston's  battery  had 
torn  its  way  through  the  tender  flesh,  letting  the  life 
out. 

Such  of  her  original  clothing  as  remained  to  her, 

45 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

for  she  was  dressed  in  makeshift  garments  which 
had  been  improvised  on  the  French  ship,  was 
marked  with  the  letter  "  D  "  in  elaborate  embroid- 
ery. It  was  of  exquisite  fineness,  the  materials  be- 
ing of  the  most  dainty  and  beautiful  fabrics.  This 
was  apparent  even  to  the  eyes  of  the  two  sailors, 
who  were  not  accustomed  to  handling  anything  like 
it. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  she  had  been  picked  up 
with  practically  nothing  upon  her  but  her  night  ap- 
parel, and  from  the  other  circumstances  which  they 
learned  by  questioning  Captain  Senez  and  his  of- 
ficers, Captain  Little  surmised  that  she  had  been 
awakened  by  some  sudden  peril,  whatever  the  catas- 
trophe might  have  been,  possibly  a  fire,  and  had 
been  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  the  boat  with  her 
baby  without  having  time  to  dress,  and  before  any- 
one could  join  her  the  boat  had  gone  adrift  and  had 
not  been  noticed  in  the  confusion.  She  wore  no 
jewels  of  any  sort  either,  except  a  wedding-ring. 
The  captain  slipped  it  trom  the  wasted  finger  and 
examined  it  carefully.  There  was  nothing  inside 
but  the  following : 

"  Gen.  XXXI :  49."  He  read  it  off  to  the  little 
group. 

"Genesis,  thirty-first  chapter  and  forty-ninth  verse. 
I  wonder  what  that  is  ?  Mr.  Blakely,  step  into  my 
berth  and  fetch  me  the  Bible  from  the  locker." 

For  all  his  irascibility  the  captain  was  a  deeply 
religious  man,  and  he  read  his  Bible  as  regularly 


THE   BABY   WITH   THE   CAPTAIN 

every  night  as  he  examined  the  tell-tale  compass 
above  his  head  every  morning.  When  Blakely 
handed  him  the  Bible  he  quickly  found  the  place 
and  read  to  the  others  this  sweet  petition  of  a  hus- 
band and  lover  in  the  wedding-ring,  which  seemed 
singularly  appropriate  to  the  circumstances  in  which 
they  had  found  the  woman  and  the  child. 

"  The  Lord  watch  between  me  and  thee,  when 
we  are  absent  one  from  another." 

"  Poor,  poor  lady ! "  he  added,  solemnly  and 
tenderly. 


CHAPTER  VI 

COMMITTED  TO  THE  GREAT  DEEP 

"WELL,  gentlemen,  there  isn't  anything  to  be 
learned  from  that,"  remarked  the  captain,  thought- 
fully, after  a  little  pause.  "  I  will  retain  this  ring. 
Now,  let's  have  a  look  at  the  baby." 

The  infant  had  been  lying  peacefully  asleep  in 
Lang's  arms  for  some  time,  and  the  captain  took  it 
up  softly  with  that  unfamiliar  hesitation  with  which 
men  usually  handle  little  children.  Fortunately  it 
slept  soundly  all  the  time.  So  far  as  he  could,  with- 
out undressing  it,  he  looked  it  over  very  carefully. 
His  eyes  finally  caught  the  glint  of  a  gold  chain 
about  its  neck,  and  he  reached  his  finger  in  under 
the  dress  and  pulled  gently  on  it. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  what  have  we  here  ?  " 

As  he  pulled  he  discovered  a  handsome  jewelled 
gold  locket  fastened  to  the  chain.  His  hands  sought 
for  a  means  of  opening  it,  and  finally  found  a  spring. 
Inside  was  a  miniature,  the  face  of  a  woman.  It 
was  the  face  of  the  woman  lying  on  the  transom 
there,  but  how  different !  The  painter's  art  had 
caught  the  hue  of  health,  and  the  face  that  looked 
out  from  the  little  circle  of  gold  was  a  thing  of 


COMMITTED  TO  THE  GREAT  DEEP 

beauty,  while  that  that  looked  up  from  the  transom 
was  a  thing  of  sadness.  On  the  back  of  the  locket 
was  a  monogram  in  diamonds,  composed  of  the  let- 
ters "  N.  E.  D." 

"'N.  E.  D.,'"  said  the  captain,  "'D.'  evidently 
stands  for  his  last  name  and  the  other  two  for 
Christian  names.  The  woman  is  undoubtedly  his 
mother.  They  resemble  each  other,  too." 

He  sought  for  the  catch  of  the  chain,  found  it, 
opened  it,  drew  it  from  the  baby's  neck,  and  put  it 
in  his  pocket  with  the  ring. 

"  See  that  the  finding  of  this  baby  and  its  mother 
and  the  description  of  both  these  articles  are  prop- 
erly entered  in  the  ship's  log,  Mr.  Talcott.  Find 
out,  too,  from  Captain  Senez,  if  he  can  remember 
where  he  picked  up  the  boat  with  the  woman  and 
child  in  it  and  make  a  note  of  it,  and  of  every  other 
fact  you  can  elicit  which  may  serve  to  identify  the 
child  in  full,  though  I  think  'tis  most  unlikely  that 
we  shall  ever  find  anything  about  it.  I  take  it  that 
there  has  been  a  ship  on  fire  and  the  woman  and 
child  were  awakened  at  night,  let  us  say,  and  put 
on  that  boat,  which  may  have  been  towed  astern, 
while  the  rest  fought  the  fire,  and  the  boat  drifted 
away,  and  that's  all,  until  she  was  picked  up  by  the 
French  ship.  Mr.  Blakely,  tell  the  sailmaker  to 
come  here  with  his  mates  and  sew  up  the  body  of 
this  poor  lady,  and  then  fetch  me  my  prayer-book 
and  direct  Mr.  Dickinson  to  call  all  hands  to  bury 
the  dead.  Ask  the  cook  as  you  go  by  if  he  has 

49 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

prepared  the  stuff  for  the  infant.  I  suppose  it  will 
have  to  have  some  clothes,  too." 

"  I  think  I  kin  rig  up  somethin'  to  fit  it,  yer 
honor,"  said  Lang,  who  could  handle  the  needle  as 
well  as  most  sailors,  "if  you'll  gimme  some  stuff 
from  the  slop  chist  to  work  on,  sir." 

"  I  don't  think  we  have  anything  there  to  make 
suitable  clothes  of.  I  expect  you'd  better  take 
some  of  my  spare  linen  sheets,  and  I  have  a  piece 
of  blue  broadcloth  I  got  at  Havana.  You'll  find 
both  in  the  opposite  berth  yonder.  You  can 
arrange  to  keep  the  infant  in  there,  and  don't  you 
dare,  sirrah,  to  presume  on  the  fact  that  you  are 
living  aft  in  the  cabin !  I  want  none  of  your 
familiarity  on  the  strength  of  the  baby  ! " 

"  Wot,  me,  sir !  Lord,  no,  sir  ! "  answered  Lang, 
speciously.  "If  yer  honor'll  gimme  permission 
I'll  rig  up  a  small  hammock  fer  the  infant  to  sleep 
in." 

"Very  well.  Meanwhile,  it  ought  to  have  a 
name  and  I  think  we'll  call  it  '  Ned '  for  the  pres- 
ent," said  the  captain.  "  '  N.  E.  D.,'  you  know,  Mr. 
Talcott.  It's  got  to  have  a  name  of  some  kind.  It 
doesn't  seem  just  right  to  call  it  '•  it.' " 

"  Ned's  asleep  now,  sir,"  answered  the  glib  Lang. 
"With  yer  permission,  sir,  I'll  jest  lay  him  in  his 
berth.  He'll  be  safe  enough  in  this  gentle  breeze, 
an'  I'll  go  forward  an' " 

"  Go,  for  heaven's  sake,  and  don't  talk  all  day 
about  it !  Do  what  you  like  for  it,  but  keep  silent ! 

so 


COMMITTED  TO  THE  GREAT  DEEP 

Efface  yourself  so  long  as  you  are  around  where  I 
am.  Understand  ?  I  don't  want  to  see  you,  or 
hear  you,  or  the  infant.  Keep  it  quiet  and  your- 
self, too ! " 

Lang  opened  his  mouth  to  say  something,  but 
the  fierce  glare  of  the  captain  warned  him  that  he 
would  better  not.  He  knuckled  his  forehead,  made 
a  sea  scrape  and  darted  out  of  the  cabin.  A  few 
moments  after  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  boatswain's 
mate  resounded  through  the  ship,  followed  by  the 
hoarse  cry, 

"  All  hands  bury  the  dead  ! " 

Captain  Little  came  out  of  his  cabin  with  his  full 
uniform  on,  wearing  his  sword  and  carrying  a  huge 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  All  except  the  neces- 
sary lookouts  among  the  crew  assembled  in  the  port 
or  lee  gangway.  Back  of  the  captain  the  officers 
of  the  ship  were  grouped  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  Mr.  Dickinson,"  said  the  captain,  looking  about 
him,  "  I  think  we  can  allow  some  of  the  prisoners 
to  come  from  below  to  see  their  comrades  buried. 
Step  below  to  the  wardroom,  Mr.  Blakely,  and 
invite  Captain  Senez  and  his  officers  to  come  on 
deck.  Mr.  Murphy/'  he  added,  turning  to  the 
lieutenant  of  marines  of  which  the  Boston  carried  a 
small  company,  "tell  the  sergeant-at-arms  to  let  a 
quarter  watch  of  the  shipmates  of  the  dead  French 
seamen  come  on  deck.  I  do  not  think  we  can 
have  them  all  up,  but  they  will  know  who  should 
be  here." 

51 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

While  they  waited  a  few  moments  Captain  Senez 
and  his  officers  came  out  of  the  ward-room  and 
steerage  where  they  had  been  temporarily  quar- 
tered, and  the  master-at-arms  and  the  marines 
escorted  some  fifty  Frenchmen  from  the  hold 
where  the  crew  of  the  unfortunate  Berceau  were 
confined.  In  obedience  to  orders  these  men 
arranged  themselves  along  the  starboard  gangway 
under  guard  of  the  marines. 

"Are  we  all  ready,  Mr.  Dickinson  ?"  asked  the 
captain,  somewhat  nervously. 

"  All  ready,  sir." 

"  Ah,  by  the  way,  Captain  Senez,"  he  continued, 
"if  you — oh,  curse  it  all,  Mr.  Talcott,  will  you 
please  tell  Captain  Senez  that  I  am  going  to  read 
prayers  for  my  men  myself  in  default  of  a  chaplain — 
we  have  none  on  the  Boston — and  ask  him  if  he 
wants  to  have  any  special  prayers  for  his  own  men. 
Maybe  they  belong  to  the — er — er — you  under- 
stand ?  " 

There  was  a  rapid  interchange  of  conversation 
between  Mr.  Talcott  and  Captain  Senez,  accom- 
panied by  many  shrugs  of  his  shoulders  and  much 
gesticulation  on  the  part  of  the  latter.  Presently 
Talcott  turned  to  Captain  Little  in  some  perplex- 
ity. 

"  He  says,  sir,  so  far  as  I  can  make  out,  that  since 
France  has  become  a  Republic  they  have  abolished 
God,  or  something  of  that  sort,  and  that  they  do 
not  seem  to  believe  in  prayers." 


COMMITTED  TO  THE  GREAT  DEEP 

"  Well,  I'll  be  blowed ! "  spluttered  the  captain, 
in  astonishment  and  indignation.  "  The  idea  !  Not 
believe  in  God  and  he  a  sailorman  !  Tell  him,  with 
my  compliments,  Mr.  Talcott,  politely  but  posi- 
tively, that  I  believe  in  God,  we  all  do.  Tell  him  I 
am  going  to  have  prayers  for  my  men  and  for  his 
as  well.  You  can  add  that  I  think  it  is  an  infernal 
shame  for  a  seaman  of  his  reputation  to  be  an 
atheist. "  It's  no  wonder  we  took  him,  and  I  am 
glad  we  did,"  added  the  sturdy  American  captain, 
glancing  wrathfully  at  the  indifferent  Frenchman. 

Mr.  Talcott  discreetly  translated  the  captain's 
message  according  to  his  own  judgment,  and  as 
the  captain  did  not  understand  French  he  was  not 
sure  how  much  was  given  to  his  French  compeer. 
Whatever  Mr.  Talcott  said,  however,  seemed  satis- 
factory to  the  Frenchman,  who  smilingly  shrugged 
his  shoulder  again  as  if  the  whole  affair  were  a  mat- 
ter of  little  consequence  to  him. 

l-  Abolish  God,  indeed !  I'd  like  to  see  the  whole 
French  Republic  do  it !  It's  only  a  half-breed  Re- 
public anyway  !  "  muttered  the  captain,  angrily,  as 
he  waved  his  hand  to  the  chief  boatswain's  mate, 
opened  his  book,  and  removed  his  cocked  hat. 

The  irascible  American  gentleman  stood  very 
straight  and  erect  as  the  men  lifted  the  first  body, 
that  of  an  American  sailor,  and  laid  it  upon  a  hatch 
grating.  The  grating  was  then  lifted  up,  one  end 
placed  on  the  rail  of  the  ship  and  the  other  held  by 
the  sailors.  The  American  flag  was  wrapped  around 

53 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

the  body,  the  outlines  of  which  were  clearly  distin- 
guishable through  the  hammock. 

The  captain  began  to  read  the  old  familiar  words 
of  the  Prayer  Book,  the  office  for  the  burial  of 
those  at  sea.  With  the  first  word  the  officers  and 
crew  to  a  man  uncovered.  After  a  moment  of 
hesitation,  and  as  if  unwilling  to  be  outdone  in  po- 
liteness, Captain  Senez  and  his  officers  followed 
the  example  of  the  American  officers  and  removed 
their  hats,  as  did  the  French  seamen.  The  French 
Republic  had  abolished  God,  but  not  a  few  of 
the  French  sailors  could  be  seen  to  cross  them- 
selves as  the  solemn  prayers  proceeded.  When 
Captain  Little  came  to  the  impressive  sentence, 
"  We  therefore  commit  his  body  to  the  deep,"  he 
stopped  and  nodded  his  head.  The  men  inboard 
lifted  the  end  of  the  grating,  a  third  drew  away  the 
flag,  and  the  body  of  the  sailor  in  the  hammock  slid 
gently  along  the  grating,  dropped  over  the  side,  and 
plunged  beneath  the  quiet  water. 

One  after  another  of  the  French  and  American 
seamen  were  dropped  overboard  in  the  same  way, 
the  only  difference  being  that  the  French  were 
covered  with  the  tricolor,  their  own  flag,  which  had 
been  taken  from  the  Le  Berceau.  The  captain  re- 
peated the  committal  sentence  for  each  one  in  suc- 
cession, friend  and  enemy  faring  impartially  at  his 
hands. 

In  a  short  time  all  of  the  dead  had  been  launched 
into  the  deep  except  the  body  of  the  woman.  With 

54 


COMMITTED  fo  THE  GREAT  DEEP 

tender  gentleness  the  rough  seamen  lifted  the  slight, 
slender  figure.  Reverently  they  laid  the  small  form 
upon  the  grating.  Captain  Little  opened  his  mouth 
for  the  last  time  to  repeat  the  few  loving  sentences 
by  which  he  had  consigned  each  one  of  the  others, 
when  a  thought  struck  him.  He  stopped,  turned 
to  his  executive  officer,  whispered  a  moment : 

"  Mr.  Dickinson,  as  this  is  the  baby's  mother  we 
ought  to  have  him  here.  I  only  hope  he'll  have 
sense  enough  to  behave  himself.  Send  one  of  the 
midshipmen  below  and  have  Lang  bring  him  up." 

The  crew  waited  curiously,  wondering  what  was 
to  happen,  while  the  midshipman  ran  aft  and  disap- 
peared in  the  cabin.  Presently  Lang  came  on  deck 
with  the  poor  little  baby  in  his  arms.  The  midship- 
man had  explained  the  situation,  and  there  was  no 
necessity  for  words.  The  captain  motioned  him, 
and  Lang  stepped  over  beside  the  grating.  The 
old  man  looked  very  stern  and  resolute  as  he  silently 
took  the  indicated  place  and  lifted  the  child  straight 
up  in  his  arms.  The  baby,  which  had  been  fed 
again  with  the  cook's  decoction,  which  seemed  to 
agree  marvellously  well  with  it,  laughed  and  cooed 
and  then  innocently  and  unconsciously  reached  out 
its  little  hands  toward  the  body  of  its  mother  lying 
under  the  flag.  Perhaps  the  little  chap  was 
attracted  by  the  bright  colors.  The  captain  would 
fain  give  the  unknown  woman  the  same  honors  as 
he  gave  his  brave  men  who  had  fallen  fighting  for 
their  country. 

55 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Lang  stepped  closer  and  held  the  baby  nearer,  so 
that  for  a  few  moments  its  little  hand  lay  upon  the 
face  of  its  dead  mother  in  the  hammock  under  the 
ensign. 

It  was  a  sad  moment  indeed.  Little  Mr.  Blakely, 
who  had  seen  the  face  of  the  poor  woman,  sniffled 
audibly.  Mr.  Talcott  turned  his  gaze  out  to  sea. 
Some  of  the  younger  men  among  the  crew  lifted 
the  backs  of  their  hands  furtively  to  their  eyes. 
Captain  Little  coughed  violently,  as,  in  a  voice  that 
lacked  its  usual  steadiness,  he  read  the  committal 
sentence. 

Slowly,  with  a  lingering  and  reluctant  move- 
ment, the  men  lifted  the  grating.  The  slight  body 
slipped  quickly  from  it,  flashed  in  the  air  as  the 
last  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  streaming  low  from 
the  western  horizon,  fell  upon  it,  parted  the  water 
with  a  gentler  splash  than  the  heavier  men  had 
caused,  gleamed  on  the  wave  a  moment,  and  then 
sank  out  of  sight  in  the  darkness  of  the  great  deep. 
The  men  who  had  followed  its  departure  with  eager 
gaze  watched  it  drop  through  the  air,  and  disappear 
from  their  vision. 

There  was  a  moment  of  strange  silence  on  the 
ship,  broken  by  a  feeble  cry  from  the  little  child  in 
the  arms  of  the  old  sailor. 

"  Strike  the  bell  four  !  "  cried  the  captain,  sternly, 
putting  on  his  hat  and  turning  away.  "  Call  the 
port  watch  ! " 

So  the  log  of  the  sea  waif  was  begun. 

56 


CHAPTER  VII 

BILLY    BOWLINE    BEARS    A    HAND 

THE  next  morning  was  bright  and  sunny.  Con- 
trary to  the  captain's  nervous  anticipation,  the  baby 
had  slept  quietly  throughout  the  night.  Lang  had 
rigged  up  a  small  hammock  for  it,  and,  in  mortal 
terror  lest  his  charge  might  disturb  the  captain,  he 
had  spent  most  of  the  night  awake  swinging  it 
gently  whenever  the  child  stirred.  The  hammock 
proved  a  comfortable  bed  for  the  tired  little  young- 
ster, and,  having  had  plenty  to  eat  before  it  went  to 
sleep,  it  slept  like  a  top.  The  pleasant  surprise 
which  its  seemly  conduct  gave  to  the  captain  put 
him  in  a  gentler,  more  complaisant  mood,  and  Lang 
shrewdly  took  advantage  of  it  to  ask  him  if  he 
might  not  have  one  of  the  ship's  boys  detailed  to 
act  as  his  assistant. 

"  Ye  see,  yer  honor,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  dare  to 
leave  this  yere  babby  alone  a  minute,  an'  in  course  as 
I  can't  mess  in  the  cabin  I  won't  have  no  way  to 
git  my  meals  onless  I  has  some  one  to  stan'  watch 
with  me,  sir."  . 

"  So  you  want  to  introduce  another  Jackie  into  the 
cabin,  do  you  ?  You  want  to  turn  my  cabin  into  a 

57 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

lounging  room  for  the  crew,  do  you  ?  Perhaps  you 
think  this  is  the  fo'ke'sl,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  not  on  no  account,  sir.  I  jest  wants  to 
be  helped  out  a  bit,  sir." 

"  And  I  suppose,  if  I  grant  your  request,  you  and 
he  will  be  gabbling  all  day,  sir,  over  this  infant ;  and 
I  won't  know  my  soul's  my  own  betwixt  ye ! " 

"  No,  yer  honor.  I  knows  too  well  the  respect  due 
to  the  cabin,  sir — an'  the  cap'n,  too,  sir,"  he  added, 
quickly.  "An*  bein'  a  silent  man  myself,  never 
sayin'  no  more'n  is  necessary  on  no  account,  w'ich 
my  old  woman  she  didn't  never  lemme  open  my 
mouth  ashore,  an'  I  had  to  larn  there  the  wirtue  of 
silence,  I  won't  say  nothin'  to  disturb  yer  honor,  an' 
I  won't  let  no  one  else  do  it,  nuther." 

"  Lang,"  said  the  captain,  "  I'd  back  you  against 
the  whole  crew  for  talking.  I  suppose  you  could 
talk  them  all  down  without  any  trouble.  That's  one 
qualification  for  a  nurse  you  possess.  You'll  teach 
the  infant  to  talk,  if  anybody  can." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I'll  try,  sir." 

"  How  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  Seems  werry  well,  sir." 

"  I  didn't  hear  him  during  the  night." 

"  He  never  opened  his  mouth  the  hull  time,  sir. 
I'm  larnin'  him  to  behave  in  the  cabin." 

"Is  he  still  asleep?" 

"  Yes,  sir.     Shall  I  rouse  him  out  ?  " 

"  On  no  account,"  answered  -the  captain,  timor- 
ously. "  You  may  take  advantage  of  his  quietness 

58 


BILLY   BOWLINE   BEARS  A   HAND 

to  go  forward  and  pick  out  your  boy  and  bring  him 
here  and  turn  him  to.  Then  get  your  breakfast  an* 
I'll  see  what's  to  be  done  later." 

"  I  'spose  I  won't  have  to  go  to  quarters  so  long's 
I'm  promoted  to  be  bo's'n's  mate  to  this  yere 
young  gentleman  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  not,"  said  Captain  Little,  laugh- 
ing at  the  solemn  old  man.  "  The  care  of  one  baby 
ought  to  be  enough  for  one  able-bodied  man  and  a 
ship's  boy." 

"  Yes,  sir.  An'  I  means  to  take  keer  of  this  yere 
babby  in  fine  shape.  I  didn't  bargain  for  no  dooty 
of  this  kind,  but  since  I've  been  detailed  to  take 
keer  on  him,  I've  been  dewotin'  myself  to  doin'  it, 
an'  I'm  goin'  to  keep  on  if " 

"  Get  out  of  the  cabin  ! "  said  the  captain,  in  a  low, 
fierce  whisper,  subdued  for  fear  of  waking  the  baby, 
"  and  bear  a  hand  too  !  " 

When  the  "  old  man,"  as  the  captain  was  called, 
spoke  in  that  manner,  everyone  knew  that  the  limit 
of  his  forbearance  had  been  reached.  Lang  there- 
fore darted  forward  at  once  and  soon  found  himself 
on  the  forecastle  in  the  midst  of  the  crew.  He  was 
an  object  of  the  most  intense  interest  on  account  of 
his  new  duties,  his  relationship  to  the  baby,  and  his 
place  in  the  cabin.  The  men  could  not  resist  the 
opportunity  of  baiting  him  a  little,  and  their  baiting 
took  the  form  of  rather  coarse  jests.  Lang  bore  it 
all  good-humoredly  within  certain  limits,  but  when 
they  got  beyond  his  powers  of  endurance  he  quietly 

59 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

put  down  his  pannikin  of  steaming  coffee,  rose  to 
his  feet,  grasped  each  of  the  two  most  serious  offend- 
ers by  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  knocked  their  heads 
together  in  a  peculiarly  effective  manner. 

"  Ye  ask  wot  qualifications  I've  got  fer  nussin' 
that  babby,  messmates,"  he  roared,  bringing  them 
together  with  a  violent  shake.  "This  is  one  of 
'em.  Ye  want  to  know  how  I  know  how  to  soothe  a 
babby,  do  ye  ?  Bless  ye,  this  is  the  way  I'll  do  it ! " 

Bang !  Crack !  The  two  heads  came  together 
again  and  again,  while  the  rest  of  the  crew  roared. 
The  men  struggled  unavailing  in  the  arms  of  the 
giant  sailor  until,  having  exhausted  his  wrath,  he 
released  his  grasp  on  them  and  they  fell  to  the  deck, 
almost  stunned  by  the  shaking  and  banging  they 
had  received. 

"  Look  yere,"  resentfully  growled  one  of  them, 
sitting  up  and  rubbing  his  head,  "  if  you're  goin'  to 
soothe  that  youngster  this  yere  way  there  won't  be 
nothin'  left  of  him.  'Taint  no  way  to  treat  a  man, 
let  alone  a  babby,"  he  muttered,  ruefully. 

"  I  want  ye  to  know  one  thing,  shipmates,"  said 
Lang,  pulling  out  his  pipe  and  disdaining  to  notice 
the  objects  of  his  last  experiment,  "  this  yere  babby 
is  a  born  gentleman.  He's  no  fo'ke'sl  lubber  like 
you.  I'm  proud  to  nuss  him.  Wen  he  grows  up 
he'll  be  the  biggest  man  in  the  United  States. 
Specially  after  gettin'  such  trainin*  as  I'll  give  him. 
I'll  make  a  seaman  out  of  him,  me  an'  the  cap'n 
will." 

60 


BILLY    BOWLINE    BEARS   A   HAND 

The  sailor  smiled  good-naturedly  as  he  spoke, 
and  joined  in  the  general  laugh  with  which  this 
modest  assertion  was  greeted. 

"  As  fer  bein'  a  nuss  fer  the  child,  if  anybody's 
got  anythin'  more  to  say  ag'in  it  let  'em  speak  out 
an'  we'll  settle  it  an'  have  no  more  fuss  about  it. 
I've  been  tendin'  the  infant  all  night,  an'  I  never 
felt  so  much  like  fightin'  in  all  my  life." 

Nobody  seemed  inclined,  in  the  presence  of  the 
mighty  sinews  of  the  sailor  and  the  demonstration 
he  had  just  given  the  unlucky  pair  who  had  first  felt 
his  prowess,  to  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  to 
discuss  the  propriety  of  his  action. 

"  Besides,  it  is  a  promotion.  I'm  to  git  a  bo's'n's 
mate's  pay,  be  let  off  from  watch  an'  quarters,  sleep 
in  the  cabin  like  the  other  two  gentlemen  there,  the 
cap'n  an'  the  babby.  I'm  to  have  a  fust  luff,  too  ! 
You,  Billy  Bowline,  I  guess  I'll  take  ye." 

"  Good  Lord,  sir  ! "  stammered  Billy  Bowline,  one 
of  the  ship's  powder  boys,  in  great  dismay  ;  "  don't 
— take — me — me,  sir  !  I — I — never  had  nothin' — 
to — to — do  with  babies  ! " 

"  Ye  won't  have  nuthin'  to  do  with  this  yere  babby 
nuther,  only  obeyin'  my  orders.  Y'  ain't  to  tech 
the  infant,  so  fer  as  that  goes.  Y'  ain't  knowin' 
enough.  There's  jest  one  thing  I  want  to  tell  ye. 
Don't  ye  answer  back  to  nobody,  to  me  or  the 
cap'n,  or  I  don't  know  wot'll  become  of  ye  !  I 
don't  want  no  talkative  pussens  round  me,  bein' 
such  a  silent  man  myself  ordinarily,  an'  the  cap'n 

61 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

he  thinks  the  same  way  as  me.  Have  ye  had  yer 
breakfast  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  wailed  the  boy.  "  I  don't  want  to 
keer  for  no  child,  Mr.  Lang.  I  don't  know  how." 

"  I'll  larn  ye  all  ye  need  to  know.  Now,  you 
come  along  aft  with  me,  an'  mind  yer  eye.  I've  got 
a  colt  handy,  an'  I  want  to  tell  ye  that  w'enever  that 
there  infant  strikes  up  a  tune  an'  disturbs  me  an* 
the  cap'n  you  gits  licked." 

"  Oh,  Lord,  sir!    I— didn't  ship— fer  this  babby !" 

"  Shut  up,  ye  young  imp !  Stop  argyfyin'  an' 
remember  you've  got  to  larn  to  call-  the  babby  a 
young  gentleman,  w'ich  he  is,  by  the  cap'n's  orders. 
Now  aft  with  ye ! "  roared  Lang,  grabbing  the  lad 
by  the  back  of  the  neck  and  the  seat  of  his  trousers 
and  rushing  him  below  to  the  captain's  cabin. 

"  Back  again,  Lang  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Is  that  the  boy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  sailor,  swinging  young 
Billy,  who  was  vainly  trying  to  seek  shelter  behind 
his  captor,  into  view. 

"  Um  ! "  said  the  captain,  looking  over  him  criti- 
cally, "  what  qualifications  has  he  for  a  nurse?" 

"  Sir,"  said  Lang,  "  a  gentle  dispersition,  a  love 
fer  children,  an'  he  wants  to  larn.  Ain't  that  so, 
Billy  ? "  shaking  him  gently  but  tightening  his 
grasp  ominously. 

"  Ye — yes,  sir." 

"  An'  he's  the  silentest  boy  on  the  hull  ship,  sir. 

62 


BILLY   BOWLINE   BEARS   A   HAND 

Him  an'  me  an'  you  an'  the  babby'll  get  along  fine 
an' " 

"  No  more  ! "  roared  the  captain,  glaring  fiercely 
at  him,  and  turning  to  the  boy.  "  Remember  one 
thing !  Have  nothing  to  say  to  the  captain,  or  the 
officers,  or  anybody  !  This  talking  is  the  ruination 
of  discipline.  If  you  have  anything  to  say,  don't 
say  it !  It's  a  safe  rule  on  a  ship  !  Lang,  I  want 
you  to  set  him  an  example  of  keeping  quiet." 

"Yes,  sir.  Ye  kin  depend  upon  me,  sir.  I  never 
was  known " 

"  Well,  begin  now.  What  are  you  going  to  do 
with  the  baby  now  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinkin'  it'd  be  a  good  thing  to  give  him 
a  wash  down,  sir,  an'  then  a  feed.  I  s'pose  he 
hain't  had  no  bath  fer  a  week.  I  guess  I  kin  have 
a  division  tub,  sir  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  certainly,"  responded  the  captain  sar- 
castically, "anything  you  want.  Turn  this  cabin 
into  a  swimming-pool  if  you  like.  I'm  here  only 
on  sufferance.  This  baby  seems  to  run  the  ship 
with  you  as  first  luff." 

"  Yes,  sir.  Billy,  bring  me  a  small  division  tub 
an'  put  it  in  the  berth  theje.  He  must  have  fresh 
water,  of  course,  sir,"  he  added,  "  so  long's  he's  a 
young  gentleman,  an'  messes  aft." 

"  Great  heavens  !  "  cried  the  captain.  "  Why,  I 
don't  get  fresh  water  myself  to  take  a  bath  in  ! " 

"  Oh,  but  in  course,  sir,  this  yere's  such  a  little 
babby." 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Oh,  well,  have  it  your  own  way." 

Presently  the  division  tub  was  brought  in  and 
filled  with  fresh  water  tempered  to  the  proper  heat 
by  some  hot  water  Billy  fetched  from  the  galley. 
Master  Ned  was  undressed  and  deftly  plunged 
therein  by  his  nurse,  who  was  rapidly  losing  his 
awkwardness,  while  Billy  stood  watching  him  with 
delight. 

"  Ye  see,  Billy,"  said  Lang,  as  he  soused  the  infant 
in  the  tub,  "it's  all  in  havin'  confidence  in  one's 
self.  Wen  I  fust  tackled  this  yere  kid  1  felt  mighty 
strange,  but  jest  as  soon  as  I  larned  the  ropes  an' 
canvas  of  his  gearin'  an'  how  he  was  tacked  an' 
box-hauled,  I  begun  to  git  confidence  ag'in,  an'  now 
I'm  jest  as  much  at  home  with  him  as  I'd  be  on  a 
tops'l  yard.  Pay  attention  to  wot  I  say,  Billy,  an' 
you'll  know  a  bit.  It's  a  pity  I  ain't  more  talkative, 
but  I've  allus  been  a  silent  man.  Lord,  look  at  the 
young  gentleman  a-splashin'  round  !  He's  wallerin' 
an'  blowin'  like  a  young  w'ale  !  T'aint  the  first 
time  this  yere  babby's  been  in  the  water.  He's  been 
raised  right,  an'  I  knowed  it.  I  tole  the  cap'n  so." 

He  continued  soliloquizing  in  this  strain  while 
he  washed  the  delighted  child.  The  captain  was 
writing  his  report  in  his  cabin  beyond.  He  could 
not  help  overhearing  some  of  the  confusion  which 
was  made  and  finally  with  a  look  of  annoyance  he 
rose  to  his  feet  and  stepped  toward  the  berth  in 
which  the  ablutions  were  being  performed.  Lang 
detected  his  footstep  quickly. 

6* 


BILLY   BOWLINE   BEARS   A   HAND 

"Billy,"  he  cried  to  the  astonished  boy,  "wot 
d'ye  mean  by  mutterin'  to  yerself  in  this  way? 
You'll  have  our  cap'n " 

"  Why — Mr. — Mr. — Lan — g  ! "  began  the  boy, 
"  I  was — s — n't " 

"  There,  there !  Are  ye  goin'  to  answer  me 
back  ?  Jest  wait  till  I  git  through  with  this  young 
gentleman.  You'll  have  that  good  kind  cap'n  of 
ourn " 

At  that  moment  Captain  Little  stuck  his  head  in 
the  doorway,  a  ferocious  expression  on  his  face. 

"  I'm  jest  a-ratin'  Billy,  yer  honor.  I'm  afraid  he's 
disturbin'  the  atmosphere  aft  with  his  mutterin' 
here.  He's  begun  to  talk  some." 

"Dash  my  wig !"  exclaimed  the  captain,  laughing 
in  spite  of  himself,  "the  atmosphere  of  this  cabin 
with  you  in  it  would  make  anyone  talk.  How  is 
the  infant  enjoying  his  bath  ?  " 

"Wery  well,  sir.  Jest  look  at  him  a-splashin' 
round,  sir.  He  takes  to  the  water  as  nateral  as  a 
duck,  sir.  We'll  make  an  admiral  out  of  him  yet, 
you  an'  me,  sir." 

The  captain  leaned  over  the  tub  and  looked 
kindly  at  the  baby,  who  was  thoroughly  enjoying 
the  unwonted  luxury  of  his  bath.  The  child  was 
splashing  with  his  hands  and  laughing  and  cooing 
in  happy  pleasure.  The  captain's  stern  face  softened 
as  he  gazed  down  at  the  little  sea  waif.  Except 
that  he  was  thin  from  exposure  and  deprivation  he 
noted  that  he  was  a  very  well-made  child. 

65 

\ 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"They  make  quite  a  pretty  picture,"  thought 
Midshipman  Blakely  timorously,  coming  into  the 
cabin,  after  knocking  several  times  without  attract- 
ing any  attention.  Nobody  noticed  him  and  he  did 
not  know  just  what  to  do.  Finally  he  coughed  dip- 
lomatically behind  his  hand,  and  the  captain  looked 
up.  He  reddened  with  confusion  at  being  found  in 
this  position.  Mr.  Blakely  reported  that  a  sail  had 
been  sighted,  and  was  directed  shortly  to  return  on 
deck. 

"  Don't  keep  him  too  long  in  the  water,  Lang/' 
said  Captain  Little,  as  he  left  the  berth  and  followed 
the  midshipman. 

"  Now,  who'd  V  thought  it,"  muttered  old  Lang 
to  himself,  "  that  the  ol'  man  would  take  such  an 
int'rest  in  this  yere  infant.  Dash  my  pigtail,  but  I 
s'pose  afore  we  gits  through  this  cruise  nobody'll 
know  who  is  takin'  care  of  this  baby,  him  er  me. 
Take  the  division  tub  away,  Billy,  an'  heave  the 
water  overboard.  Then  tell  the  cook  to  pick  me 
out  a  nice  fat  piece  of  salt-pork — cabin-pork,  too. 
I  think  he's  old  enough  to  chew  suthin  !  We  can't 
keep  this  yere  infant  on  lobscouse  all  his  life,  which 
is  poor  stuff  for  a  growin'  man.  I  take  it  he  must 
be  'bout  a  year  old  now.  I  wonder  if  he's  got  any 
teeth  ?  Lemme  feel." 

He  stuck  his  huge  finger  into  the  baby's  mouth, 
much  to  the  latter's  disgust,  and  counted  "  one,  two, 
three,  four  ! " 

"  He  must  have  somethin'  to  chew  on  sartaia" 

66 


BILLY   BOWLINE   BEARS  A   HAND 

Wow ! "  he  exclaimed  as  the  infant  bit  fiercely 
upon  the  horny  finger,  "his  jaw  tackle's  all  right. 
It  runs  free  an'  easy,"  he  added,  withdrawing  his 
hand  and  wiping  the  beginnings  of  a  smile  from 
Billy's  face  with  a  ferocious  glare. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  COMMODORE   FURNISHES   A   GOAT 

THE  sail  they  had  seen  was  a  large  white  one. 
She  was  now  headed  toward  them  and  was  coming 
down  fast.  By  Captain  Little's  direction  the  Bos- 
ton had  been  kept  away,  when  she  had  been  first 
sighted,  but  the  stranger  had  the  heels  of  her  and 
rapidly  overhauled  her.  The  Boston,  a  very  swift 
vessel,  was  unable  to  carry  a  press  of  canvas  on  ac- 
count of  a  badly  wounded  foremast,  else  she  could 
not  have  been  so  easily  overhauled. 

At  first  the  men  on  the  Boston  had  watched  the 
strange  sail  approach  with  some  apprehension, 
which  changed  to  delight  as  they  made  out  unmis- 
takable signs  which  told  them  that  she  was  a  ship- 
of-war  of  their  own  country.  In  a  very  short  time 
they  had  drawn  sufficiently  near  to  distinguish  the 
flag  at  the  gaff  end  and  the  broad  pennant  of  a 
commodore  at  the  mast-head.  At  first  they  thought 
it  might  be  the  doughty  Truxtun  in  the  Constella- 
tion, but  the  ship  approaching  was  seen  to  be  too 
heavy  for  that  already  famous  frigate,  and  they  finally 
decided  that  it  must  be  Commodore  John  Barry,  the 
commander-in-chief  on  the  frigate  United  States. 

As  they  neared  each  other  the  United  States  hove 

68 


THE  COMMODORE  FURNISHES  A  GOAT 

to,  clewed  up  her  fore  royal,  and  set  a  string  of  signals, 
in  obedience  to  which  Captain  Little  swept  his  ship 
around  the  stern  of  the  great  frigate,  and  the  Boston 
ranged  along  the  lee  side  and  close  aboard  when  she 
also  hove  to  with  nice  and  beautiful  seamanship. 
The  two  ships  lay  gently  rocking  in  the  smooth  sea 
quite  near  enough  to  one  another  to  render  conver- 
sation easy.  The  old  commodore  was  standing  aft 
on  the  poop  deck,  surrounded  by  his  officers. 

"Ahoy  the  Boston  /  "  he  cried. 

"  Ahoy  the  United  States !  "  answered  Little, 
promptly.  "  How  is  the  commodore  ?  " 

"  Very  well,  thank  you,  sir.  You  look  as  if  you 
had  been  in  action,  Captain  Little." 

"  We  have,  sir." 

"When?     Where?" 

"  Day  before  yesterday  we  encountered  a  French 
ship,  Le  Berceau,  in  latitude  22°  55'  North,  longitude 
51°  West." 

"What  became  of  her?" 

"  We  captured  her  after  a  running  fight  of  twenty- 
four  hours." 

The  men  of  the  United  States  who  had  listened 
to  this  conversation  broke  into  cheers  at  this  stirring 
announcement. 

"  Having  completely  dismasted  her/  continued 
Little,  as  soon  as  he  could  be  heard,  "  we  repaired 
her  as  well  as  we  could,  finding  she  could  be  made 
seaworthy,  and  sent  her  off  to  St.  Kitts  with  a  prize 
crew." 

69 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

"  Well  done,  sir,"  cried  the  commodore.  "  I  con- 
gratulate you  !  Had  you  any  serious  loss?" 

"We  had  four  killed  and  eleven  wounded,  sir, 
most  of  whom  are  doing  well.  The  French  ship 
had  four  killed  and  seventeen  wounded.  The  rest 
of  her  crew  are  now  aboard  the  Boston." 

"  Did  you  suffer  any  serious  damage  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir.  We  were  badly  cut  up.  There  is  a 
shot  in  the  foremast  that  greatly  weakens  it." 

"  I  think  you  would  better  run  into  St.  Kitts, 
Captain  Little.  Repair  as  well  as  you  can,  and  then 
take  your  prize  back  to  the  United  States.  What's 
your  port  ?  " 

"  Boston,  sir." 

"  Well,  sir,  get  the  two  ships  in  shape,  and 
make  the  best  of  your  way  there.  Your  people 
deserve  a  little  reward  for  their  gallantry.  By 
gad.  sir,  I  wish  we  had  such  luck  !  We've  a  ship 
full  of  young  men  eager  to  distinguish  themselves, 
and  we  have  not  seen  a  thing  bigger  than  a  priva- 
teer." 

"Thank  you,  commodore,"  said  Captain  Little. 
"The  men  will  be  delighted  to  get  back  to  the 
United  States.  Three  cheers  for  Commodore  Barry, 
all  you  Bostons ! " 

Instantly  the  rails  of  the  Boston  swarmed  with 
delighted  men,  who  rent  the  air  with  cheers  for  the 
old  Revolutionary  commodore,  which  he  acknowl- 
edged with  a  graceful  wave  of  his  hat.  As  the 
tumult  subsided  Little  spoke  again. 

TO 


THE  COMMODORE  FURNISHES  A  GOAT 

"  By  the  way,  commodore,  have  you  a  cow  on 
board  ?  " 

"  A  cow,  sir  ?    What  d'ye  mean  ?  " 

"  An  animal — anything  that  gives  milk,  I  mean, 
sir." 

"  Milk  ?  Is  this  a  jest,  Captain  Little  ?  If  so, 
'tis  most  ill  timed,"  shouted  the  old  Irishman,  crim- 
son with  anger.  "  Silence  fore  and  aft  the  decks  ! " 
he  roared  as  he  detected  tittering  among  the  crews. 

"  No,  sir,"  cried  Captain  Little,  hastily ;  "  we  have 
— er — got  a  baby  on  board." 

"  A  what ! " 

"  A  baby,  sir." 

"  Are  you  running  an  orphan  asylum,  Captain 
Little,  or  are  you  mad,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  commodore, 
severely. 

"No,  sir.  The  Berceau  picked  up  a  castaway,  a 
woman  and  a  baby,  in  an  open  boat  a  few  days  be- 
fore the  action.  One  of  our  shot  unfortunately 
killed  the  woman  before  she  was  able  to  give  much 
account  of  herself.  After  we  took  the  French  ves- 
sel we  thought  it  best  to  bring  the  infant  aboard  us, 
sir,  and  we've  nothing  but  ship's  food  to  feed  it. 
That's  why  I  want  a  cow,  sir." 

"  We  have  no  cow,  but  we  have  a  goat  that  gives 
milk." 

"  If  you  would  give  her  to  us — if  you  would  sell 
her  to  us,  we'd  be  very  grateful,  sir." 

"  Would  it  not  be  better  to  send  the  baby  over 

to  us  ?    We  have  the  larger  vessel,  and " 

71 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Well,  you  see,  sir,"  said  the  captain,  hesitating, 
"the  fact  is — er — er — as  we  are  getting  along  so 
nicely  together — we  are  very  fond  of  it,  sir,"  he 
added,  desperately.  "  You  have  just  ordered  us 
back  to  the  United  States,  sir,  and  I  think  I  would 
better  take  it  there  and  give  it  to  some  female 
and  have  it  properly  attended  to  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." 

Captain  Little  turned  very  red  as  he  made  this 
confession.  He  glanced  furiously  at  his  officers  and 
men  on  the  deck,  but  nobody  on  the  Boston  cracked 
a  smile,  although  the  United  States  rang  with 
laughter.  To  tell  the  truth  the  whole  ship's  com- 
pany were  so  deeply  interested  in  the  baby  that  they 
would  have  been  almost  ready  to  fight  any  attempt 
to  deprive  them  of  it.  Jack  Lang  and  Billy  Bow- 
line in  particular  listened  in  great  anxiety  for  the 
answer.  The  commodore  hung  in  the  wind  a  mo- 
ment, undecided,  but  finally  called  out : 

"  Very  good,  Captain  Little.  Take  the  two  prizes 
back  to  the  United  States,  Le  Berceau  and  the  baby, 
the  cradle  and  the  infant.  Ha,  ha  !  Mr.  Decatur, 
and  you,  Mr.  Jones,  put  that  goat  aboard  the  second 
cutter  and  transfer  her  to  the  Boston" 

Kicking  and  bleating,  the  goat  was  tied  and  put 
into  the  boat,  the  cutter  was  dropped  into  the  water, 
and  Mistress  Nanny,  protesting  with  all  her  might, 
was  transshipped  to  the  Boston.  Decatur  and  Jones, 
the  two  midshipmen,  received  permission  from  Cap- 
tain Little  to  see  the  baby,  toward  whose  future 

73 


THE  COMMODORE  FURNISHES  A  GOAT 

nourishment  they  had  contributed  so  materially  by 
bringing  over  the  commodore's  goat. 

"  I  wish  we  had  him  on  our  ship,"  said  Decatur. 
"  It  would  be  mighty  amusing,  wouldn't  it  ?  To 
play  with  it  and  so  on  ?  Well,  we'll  never  see  him 
again,  poor  little  beggar." 

"  As  for  me,"  said  Jones,  already  a  man  in  years 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  had  just  been  warranted 
a  midshipman,  "  I  expect  to  see  him  again.  I,  for 
one,  am  going  to  keep  in  touch  with  him.  Blakely," 
he  added  to  the  midshipman,  who  had  accompanied 
them  below  with  the  captain's  permission,  "  I  wish 
you'd  write  to  me  and  keep  me  informed  as  to  this 
infant.  I  feel  interested  in  him.  What  do  you  call 
him  ? " 

"  Ned,"  answered  Blakely.  "  •  N.  E.  D.'  were  the 
initials  on  the  locket  that  was  found  about  his  neck." 

"  What's  his  last  name  ?  " 

"  He  hasn't  any.     We  don't  know,  that  is." 

"  You  know  I  think  the  child  ought  to  be  bap 
tized,"  said  Jones,  gravely.  He  was  a  very  thought 
ful,  staid  young  man. 

"  He  certainly  ought,"  said  Decatur,  eagerly  catch- 
ing at  the  idea.  He  was  a  strong  Episcopalian,  by 
the  way. 

u  I  wish  you  would  suggest  to  the  commodore  to 
have  our  '  Holy  Joe  '  " — the  midshipman  name  foi 
the  chaplain — "  baptize  him  before  we  part  company. 
The  baby,  I  mean,  not  the  '  old  man,' "  continued 
Jones. 

73 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  I  think  it  would  be  a  splendid  idea,  but  I  would 
not  like  to  be  the  one  to  ask  it  myself,"  answered 
Decatur,  hesitating. 

"  Nuther'd  I,"  chimed  in  old  Jack  Lang,  who  was 
of  course  present,  jealously  watching  over  his  charge. 

"Well,  I  will  do  it,  Jones,"  said  Decatur,  finally, 
"  if  you'll  back  me  up." 

"Certainly  I  will,"  assented  the  older  man. 

"  Captain  Little,"  said  the  audacious  young  Deca- 
tur, saluting  the  captain,  as  he  went  on  deck  a  mo- 
ment later,  "don't  you  think  it  would  be  well  to 
have  the  baby  baptized  by  the  chaplain  of  the  United 
States  before  we  part  company  ?  " 

"  Very  good  idea,  Mr.  Decatur,"  said  the  captain, 
looking  at  the  handsome  young  midshipman  with 
approval. 

"And,  sir,"  added  Jones,  "I  heard  the  chaplain 
say,  before  we  came  off,  that  he  would  like  to  bap- 
tize it  for  you  if  you  wanted  it  done." 


CHAPTER  IX 

MASTER  NED    IS   WELL   SPONSORED 

"WELL,  Mr.  Jones,  do  you  and  Mr.  Decatur  re- 
turn to  the  United  States,  present  my  compliments 
to  the  commodore  and  tell  him  I  would  like  to  bor- 
row Chaplain  Bates  for  a  few  moments  to  christen 
our  sea  waif.  If  he  cares  to  come  over  himself  I 
shall  be  most  happy  to  receive  him,  I  am  sure.  Mr. 
Jones,  tell  the  commodore  if  it  would  be  agreeable 
to  him  that  I  would  like  you  and  Mr.  Decatur  to 
return  also  since  you  have  shown  so  much  interest 
in  the — er — performance.  Mr.  Dickinson,  "  con- 
tinued the  captain,  turning  to  his  first  lieutenant,  as 
the  delighted  midshipmen  saluted  and  scampered 
away  toward  the  boat,  "  we — er — we  ought  to  have 
some  sponsors  or  god-parents,  I  understand,  on 
occasions  of  this  kind  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  promptly  answered  Dickinson,  who 
was  also  a  Churchman ;  "  we  should  have  at  least 
two  men  and  one  woman  for  a  boy  baby." 

"  Um  ! "  said  the  captain,  "we'll  have  to  get  along 
without  the  woman,  I  expect,  unless  that  garrulous 
old  Jack  Lang  will  act  for  her." 

"  He  will  hardly  do  for  that,  sir>  I  fancy,"  said 
Dickinson,  laughing. 

75 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  No,  I  suppose  not  Well,  the  question  is,  who 
shall  be  godfathers  for  the  poor  little  fellow  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  everybody  on  the  ship  is  greatly  inter- 
ested in  that  infant.  I  think  it  would  be  well  to 
make  it  a  general  affair  and  call  all  hands  to  stand 
sponsor,  as  it  were." 

"  Um  ! "  said  the  captain,  meditatively.  "  I  might 
have  one  from  the  crew,  one  from  the  steerage,  one 
from  the  ward-room,  and " 

"And  one  from  the  cabin,"  said  Dickinson, 
adroitly  divining  what  was  in  the  captain's  mind. 

"  Yes,  quite  so,  quite  so.  Now  who'll  they 
be?" 

"  Lang  from  the  crew,  I'd  suggest,  sir." 

"  Yes,  he,  of  course.     And  from  the  steerage  ?  * 

"  Mr.  Blakely,  since  he  has  been  mixed  up  from 
the  beginning  in  the  affair." 

"  And  from  the  ward-room  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  I  thought  that  I,  being  first  lieuten- 
ant  " 

"  Excuse  me,  Dickinson,"  broke  in  Talcott,  who 
had  overheard  the  whole  conversation,  "  I  think 
that  right  belongs  to  me.  I  found  him  and  took 
care  of  him  for  the  first  part  of  his  cruise  with  us, 
and " 

"  Quite  right,  Mr.  Talcott.  Quite  right,"  suavely 
remarked  Captain  Little.  "  I  think,  Mr.  Dickin- 
son, that  Mr.  Talcott  has  the  superior  claim,  and 
with  myself  that  will  be  ample.  If  he  can't  have  a 
woman  godmother,  he'll  have  two  additional  men, 

76 


MASTER   NED   IS   WELL   SPONSORED 

Not  that  two  additional  men  would  make  up  for  one 
woman,  of  course." 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir,"  said  Midshipman  Sterrett,  who 
was  on  watch,  coming  up  and  touching  his  cap. 
"  Commodore  Barry  is  coming  off  to  the  Boston  in 
his  gig." 

"  What's  that ! "  said  the  captain,  hurriedly.  "  Mr. 
Murphy,  parade  the  marine  guards  at  once,  sir. 
Beat  to  quarters  immediately,  Mr.  Dickinson.  Keep 
all  fast  in  the  batteries  when  the  men  get  to  their 
stations.  Boatswain's  mate,  stand  by  to  pipe  the 
side." 

Old  Commodore  Barry  was  as  great  a  stickler  for 
the  observance  due  to  his  rank  and  station  as  was 
Little  himself,  and  the  commander  of  the  Boston 
omitted  none  of  the  ceremonious  preparations 
required  by  the  regulations  to  receive  his  superior. 
To  the  accompaniment  of  the  shrilling  of  the  pipes 
of  the  boatswain's  mates,  the  stout  old  sea-dog 
panted  up  the  side,  stepped  over  the  gangway 
through  a  line  of  side  boys,  and  was  greeted  cere- 
moniously by  the  captain  and  the  officers  who  had 
speedily  assembled,  while  the  drums  ruffled  and  the 
small  marine  guard  drawn  up  in  line  on  the  quarter- 
deck presented  arms. 

"  Great  honor,  I  am  sure,  to  welcome  you  on  the 
Boston.  Three  cheers  for  Commodore  Barry,  lads ! " 
cried  the  captain,  waving  his  hat. 

"  I  wanted  to  see  that  precious  infant  of  yours, 
Little,"  responded  the  commodore,  rolling  aft  along 

77 


IN   THE   WASPS   NEST 

the  deck  as  the  cheers  died  away.  He  spoke  with 
a  slight  brogue  which  betrayed  his  Irish  ancestry, 
and  was  delightful  to  listen  to.  "  And  here's  our 
good  chaplain,"  he  added,  as  he  saw  that  functionary 
coming  through  the  gangway.  The  clergyman  was 
attired  in  cassock  and  bands,  and  carried  his  Prayer 
Book. 

"  Where  is — er — the  infant  ?  "  asked  the  commo- 
dore, after  the  captain  had  greeted  the  chaplain,  who 
was  closely  followed  by  Midshipman  Decatur  and 
Midshipman  Jones. 

"  He  is  below  yet,  sir.  I  did  not  think  it  neces- 
sary to  disturb  him  until " 

"  Gad,  sir ! "  roared  the  commander,  laughing 
loudly.  "  I  suppose  you'll  never  dare  to  have  target 
practice  or  general  quarters  on  the  ship  unless  that 
infant  is  awake  and  ready.  It's  a  good  thing  I 
ordered  you  back  to  the  United  States,  or  this  ship 
would  be  commanded  by  a  baby." 

"  Oh,  not  so  bad  as  that,  commodore,"  answered 
Little,  "though,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  when  I  get 
down  into  my  cabin  I  hardly  know  who  commands, 
Jack  Lang  or  young  Ned." 

"  Oh,  that's  his  name,  is  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  see,  he  wore  a  little  locket — here  it 
is,  by  the  way — on  which  are  these  three  letters, 
'  N.  E.  D.'  That's  the  picture  of  his  mother,"  said 
the  captain,  pressing  the  spring  and  opening  the 
locket. 

"  Ha ! "  said  Barry,  "  upon  me  soul,  'tis  a  lovely 

78 


MASTER   NED    IS   WELL   SPONSORED 

face.  Poor  lady !  God  rest  her  soul,  whoever  she 
may  be  !  And  you  know  nothing  about  her  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  except  that  she  is  dead." 

"  Well,  well.  I  hardly  believe  you'll  ever  find 
anything  about  her  then." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  said  Little.  "  But  the  baby  will 
be  well  taken  care  of.  They  were  evidently  gentle 
people." 

"  Quite  so.  No  doubt  of  it  from  this,  I  should 
say,"  added  the  commodore.  "Well,  Dr.  Bates,  are 
you  ready  to  christen  the  child  ?  " 

"  I  shall  do  it  with  pleasure,  Commodore  Barry, 
but  hypothetically,  of  course." 

"Oh,  anyway,  so  that  it  is  done.  I  do  not  pre- 
sume to  interfere  in  ecclesiastical  matters  on  the 
ship,  or  to  know  the  meaning  of  the  words  even, 
though,  by  gad,  everything  else  must  be  referred  to 
the  commodore." 

"  Of  course,  sir,"  answered  the  chaplain. 

"  Mr.  Dickinson,"  said  Captain  Little,  "  direct 
the  men  to  assemble  in  the  gangways,  hats  off, 
and  keep  quiet.  We  are  going  to  christen  the 
baby." 

"  All  hands  muster  in  the  gangways ! "  roared 
the  boatswain's  mates,  "to  christen  the  baby ! " 

The  men  came  to  their  appointed  places  with  a 
great  deal  of  solemnity,  as  if  they  did  not  quite 
know  what  was  going  to  happen. 

"  I  have  appointed  a  sponsor  or  godfather  from 
the  crew,  one  from  the  steerage,  one  from  the  ward- 

79 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

room,  and — er — myself  from  the  cabin,"  explained 
the  captain,  nervously. 

"  Well,  sir,"  answered  the  commodore,  "  those  are 
ample,  I  am  sure  ;  and  while  I  belong  to  another 
faith  from  that  of  our  good  Dr.  Bates  here,  and 
some  of  the  rest  of  you,  if  you  will  allow  me  I  will 
stand  godfather,  too." 

"  Please,  sir,"  said  Decatur,  who  had  edged 
nearer,  "  may  not  the  old  United  States  have  repre- 
sentatives in  this  affair,  too  ?  Mr.  Jones  and  me  ?" 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  two  midshipmen  from  the 
frigate,"  said  the  commodore,  smiling  at  the  boy, 
who  was  a  great  favorite  of  his.  "You  or  Mr. 
Jones,  one  of  you " 

"  I  think,  commodore,"  broke  in  the  chaplain, 
"  that  it  would  better  be  Mr.  Jones.  He  is — er — 
more  sedate  than  Mr.  Decatur."  • 

"Oh,  chaplain,"  pleaded  Decatur,  eagerly,  "you 
don't  want  to  have  all  his  godfathers  sedate.  Look 
at  the  list  already,"  he  went  on  audaciously. 

"  I  think  it  will  do  no  harm,"  said  Captain 
Little,  smiling  at  the  boy,  "  to  have  both  of  these 
young  gentlemen,  so  if  you  are  all  agreed  we  will 
produce  the  infant  and  begin.  Mr.  Talcott,  Mr. 
Blakely,  if  you  will  gather  around  me  you  can  read 
from  my  prayer-book." 

"And  the  other  gentlemen  can  read  over  my 
shoulder,"  said  the  chaplain. 

Presently  Master  Ned,  looking  white  and  clean 
and  happy  after  his  bath  and  his  meal,  and  dressed 

80 


MASTER   NED    IS  WELL   SPONSORED 

in  a  nondescript  garment  which  Lang  had  just 
fashioned  with  the  assistance  of  some  other  horny- 
handed  needleman  among  the  crew,  and  of  which 
they  were  inordinately  proud,  was  brought  on  deck. 

In  this  instance  he  was  carried  in  the  arms  of 
Billy  Bowline.  Lang,  who  had  heard  that  he  was 
to  be  one  of  the  godfathers,  did  not  deem  it  in 
accordance  with  his  new  dignity  to  bear  the  infant 
on  such  an  occasion.  For  once  the  old  sailor  was 
quite  abashed  amid  all  the  array  of  rank  and  talent 
in  which  he  was  suddenly  thrust,  and  for  once  in  his 
life  he  kept  still. 

He  stood  back  of  the  two  officers  near  the  cap- 
tain, his  great  size  enabling  him  to  see  over  their 
shoulders  and  to  read  the  responses,  had  it  not 
been  that  he  had  ever  been  slow  of  study  and  was 
not  apt  to  read  anything  without  laborious  and 
long-continued  effort  in  private  to  master  details. 
However,  he  solemnly  nodded  his  head  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  responses  read  by  the  officers,  and  Mas- 
ter Edward,  with  the  formula,  "  Edward,  if  thou 
hast  not  already  been  baptized,  I  baptize  thee  in 
the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  was  duly  launched  on  the  sea  of 
ecclesiastical  life. 

And  .remembering  the  old  idea  that  the  old 
Adam  is  not  washed  out  of  a  silent  recipient  of 
baptism,  the  officers  and  crew  were  mightily 
pleased  that  the  baby  roared  lustily  when  the  cold 
sea-water  was  poured  upon  his  head — all,  that  is, 

8l 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

except  Billy  Bowline,  who  stood  very  red  and 
uncomfortable,  holding  the  shrieking  baby  in  his 
arms. 

By  direction  of  Captain  Little  in  default  of  a 
family  name  they  attached  the  name  of  the  ship  to 
his  baptismal  appellation,  and  Ned  Boston  he 
became  and  Ned  Boston  he  remained  until  the  end 
of  his  story. 


CHAPTER  X 

HOW  THE  CREW  REMEMBERED  THE  BABY 

IT  was  the  i5th  of  November  when  Master  Ned 
Boston  laid  eyes  upon  his  native  land.  By  unani- 
mous consent  he  had  been  declared  to  be  an  Ameri- 
can. There  was  no  real  assurance  about  it,  but  the 
ship's  company  had  accepted  his  Americanism  as  a 
matter  of  course,  and  they  would  have  fiercely  re- 
sented any  imputations  which  would  call  it  in  ques- 
tion. At  any  rate  he  had  been  captured  by  Ameri- 
can sailors,  fed  by  American  sailors,  clothed  by 
American  sailors,  and  sponsored  by  them,  and  as  Jack 
Lang  sapiently  remarked,  in  his  infrequent  visits  to 
the  forecastle,  where  he  had  become  the  object  of  in- 
expressible envy  to  the  rest  of  the  crew,  "Now  if  that 
don't  make  him  an  American,  I  puts  it  to  ye,  ship- 
mates, wot  does  it  make  him  ?  " 

Under  the  sailor's  watchful  care,  stimulated  by 
the  vigilant  supervision  of  the  captain  and  of  the 
officers  of  the  ship  and  the  crew,  so  far  as  they  were 
able  to  exert  it,  Master  Ned  Boston  had  thriven 
exceedingly.  The  goat's  milk,  with  the  several  de- 
lectable compounds  which  the  culinary  skill  of  the 
cook  had  evolved  with  that  fluid  as  the  basis,  had 

83 


IN  THE  WASP'S  NEST 

been  very  agreeable  to  the  young  man's  taste.  No 
one  would  have  recognized,  in  the  fat,  rosy-cheeked, 
good-natured,  hardy  little  baby,  the  weak,  fretful, 
starved  infant  who  had  been  taken  from  the  French 
ship. 

The  Boston,  with  flags  and  bunting  flying  from 
every  masthead,  was  slowly  making  her  way  up  the 
inner  harbor.  In  her  wake  came  her  prize,  Le  Ber- 
ceau,  her  jury  masts  covered  with  flags,  the  stars 
and  stripes  waving  over  the  French  tricolor.  The 
advent  of  a  captured  vessel  of  war  of  the  enemy,  in 
after  years  a  common  occurrence,  was  novel  in  that 
day,  and  the  popular  enthusiasm  was  correspondingly 
great.  Captain  Little  and  his  officers  in  full  uni- 
form, and  the  crew  in  their  best  clothes,  proudly  sur- 
veyed such  a  scene  of  animation  as  Boston  Harbor 
had  not  often  witnessed.  The  harbor  was  full  of 
boats  from  the  ships  anchored  or  tied  up  at  the 
wharves,  flags  were  flying,  guns  booming,  bells  were 
ringing,  and  tokens  of  joy  were  in  evidence  on  every 
hand.  Amid  the  cheers  of  thousands  of  the  good 
citizens  the  ship  finally  came  to  anchor  and  its  cruise 
was  over. 

"  To  think,"  said  Jack  Lang,  standing  in  the  fore- 
castle, holding  the  baby,  wrapped  in  a  fur  jacket  be- 
longing to  the  captain,  tightly  in  his  arms,  turning 
to  the  members  of  the  crew  stationed  there  who 
surrounded  him — "  to  think  of  all  this  yere  commo- 
tion bein'  made  to  welcome  this  young  gentleman 
w'ich  I  holds  in  my  arms ! "  Which  showed  the  im- 

84 


THE   CREW  REMEMBERED   THE   BABY 

portance  to  which  his  youthful  protege*  had  attained 
in  the  old  sailor's  mind. 

"  Wot's  goin'  to  happen  to  him  w'en  we  gits  paid 
off  ?  "  asked  the  captain  of  the  forecastle. 

"  Cap'n  Little's  goin'  to  take  him  to  his  own 
home  w'ich  he  ain't  got  no  children  of  his  own  an' 
he  wants  this  one." 

"  An'  then  you  won't  see  him  no  more  ?  "  queried 
the  boatswain's  mate. 

"  I  wouldn't  give  up  this  child,"  answered  Lang, 
solemnly,  "  fer  no  cap'n  noways.  I  goes  with  him. 
Cap'n  Little  he  sez  he  wants  me  to  take  charge  of 
him.  Of  course  we'll  have  to  turn  him  over  to  the 
wimmin  folks  some,  I  guess,  but  I'm  goin'  to  re- 
move my  ol'  woman  down  to  Cap'n  Little's  place 
near  Boston,  an'  him  and  me's  going  to  superwise 
the  eddication  an'  trainin*  of  this  yere  kid  to  be  a 
fust-class  sailorman." 

"  I'm  goin'  along  too,"  said  Billy  Bowline,  piping 
up  anxiously. 

"  Ye  are,  are  ye  ? "  asked  Lang,  scowling  fero- 
ciously at  the  boy,  "  well,  ye'll  have  to  learn  not  to 
talk  so  much  then.  Why,  I  never  saw  a  boy  with 
such  a  gift  of  gab  !  As  the  cap'n  speakin'  sez,  '  He's 
got  gab  enough  and  unstoppered  lingo  stowed  away 
in  his  lockers  to  out-talk  a  feemale  academy.' ' 

"  Why — Mr.  Lang — he — said — that — to — " 

"  There  ye  go  ag'in  !  Hain't  I  told  ye  ?  Will 
ye  never  larn  nuthin'  ?  If  I  didn't  have  this  yere 
babby  in  my  arms  I'd  give  ye  a  lesson  !  If  ye  say 

85 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

another  word  to  me  till  the  fust  dog  watch,  I'll  break 
you  an'  send  you  forward  ter  the  fo'ke'sl  ag'in.  Lift 
yerself,  Master  Ned,  an'  look  at  yer  native  land ! " 
cried  the  old  man,  holding  the  baby  up,  and  it  was 
in  that  way  that  Master  Ned  Boston  ended  his  cruise 
and  got  his  first  glimpse  of  the  United  States. 

One  more  incident  in  his  early  career  may  be 
chronicled.  The  Boston  was  paid  off  at  once,  and 
Captain  Little,  already  an  elderly  man  and  gener- 
ously willing  that  one  of  his  brother  officers  should 
have  a  chance  at  sea  service,  voluntarily  relinquished 
his  command.  That  he  intended  to  adopt  the  baby 
was  well  known  to  the  officers  and  crew.  He  was 
a  man  possessed  of  means  of  his  own,  and,  being 
without  children,  his  action  was  in  every  way  suit- 
able. The  baby  of  course  had  nothing,  and  although 
the  papers  of  Boston  printed  its  story  and  the  news 
gradually  filtered  throughout  the  land,  nothing  was 
ever  learned  about  its  parentage  thereby. 

Everybody  had  grown  to  love  the  little  chap,  and 
the  thought  in  everybody's  mind  was  to  give  it 
something — to  make  it  a  present  before  parting 
from  it. 

The  usual  practice  when  a  ship  was  paid  off  was 
for  everybody  to  leave  it  at  the  earliest  possible  mo- 
ment and  never  come  back  to  it,  but  after  the  men 
were  paid  off  that  morning  it  was  noticed  that  they 
acted  very  strangely.  For  one  thing  they  did  not 
immediately  abandon  the  ship.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  conversation  and  consultation  going  on  for- 

86 


THE   CREW  REMEMBERED   THE   BABY 

ward  in  the  forecastle,  and  finally  a  deputation  vis- 
ited the  captain. 

"  If  yer  honor  pleases,"  said  the  old  captain  of  the 
after  guard,  who  headed  the  men,  "we — we — have 
jest  been  paid  off — an'  we  want  to  make  some  little 
present  to  Master  Ned,  sir,  so  we  thought,  sir,  as 
mebbe  you  mought  be  willin'  to  let  us,  each  one  of 
us,  give  a  conterbution  w'ich  you  kin  put  aside  fer 
him  from  us,  bein'  as  he's  the  ship's  babby." 

"  Men,"  said  the  captain,  deeply  touched  by  this 
spontaneously  generous  proposal,  "  your  sentiments 
do  you  credit." 

"  Beg  pardon,  Cap'n,"  said  the  jack-of-the-dust, 
vaguely  disconcerted  by  the  latter  word,  "but  we 
means  this  to  be  a  cash  transaction.  No  credit  about 
it,  sir." 

"  I  know,  I  know,  I  understand,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, smiling,  "  but  I  hardly  think  that  will  be  neces- 
sary. I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  intend  to 
adopt  him,  and,  as  I  am  blessed  with  plenty  of  this 
world's  goods,  he  will  want  for  nothing."  Observ- 
ing the  look  of  disappointment  in  the  faces  of  the 
old  tars  before  him,  he  continued,  hastily  :  "  You 
might  make  him  some  little  present  to  remember 
you  all  by.  I  think  it  would  be  better  than  money." 

"Wery  good,  sir,"  said  the  captain  of  the  after 
guard,  "  me  an*  my  messmates'll  report  this  to  the  rest 
o'  the  crew  an'  then  we'll  see  wot  we  kin  do.  With 
yer  honor's  permission,  sir,  we'll  go  ashore  an'  come 
back  this  arternoon  arter  we  gits  through." 

87 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  All  right,"  said  the  captain.  "  I'll  keep  Master 
Ned  here  until  you  return." 

The  officers  of  the  deck  and  the  midshipmen  of 
the  watch,  for  the  colloquy  had  taken  place  on  deck, 
immediately  conceived  a  similar  idea.  There  were 
many  discussions  in  the  wardroom  and  steerage  that 
morning,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  the  most 
acceptable  gifts  from  the  officers  would  be  in  the 
shape  of  clothing  to  replenish  the  scanty  ship-made 
wardrobe  of  the  waif. 

The  ship  was  deserted  that  afternoon  except  by 
the  keepers  appointed  to  take  charge  of  her  from 
the  Navy  Yard,  and  Captain  Little,  Lang,  Billy 
Bowline,  and  the  baby.  About  four  bells,  just  at 
the  end  of  the  second  dog  watch,  the  men  came 
trooping  back,  for  a  wonder,  clean  and  sober  to  a 
man.  They  marched  solemnly  aboard  the  ship, 
assembled  in  the  gangway  in  orderly  ranks,  and  noti- 
fied the  captain  that  they  awaited  his  pleasure.  He 
came  on  deck  at  once,  followed  by  Lang  and  the 
baby.  The  captain  of  the  after  guard,  the  captain 
of  the  foretop,  and  the  jack-of-the-dust  solemnly  ad- 
vanced to  the  capstan  bearing  a  huge  box,  which, 
when  opened,  was  found  to  contain  an  immense 
silver  punch-bowl.  It  had  been  purchased  as  an 
appropriate  present  for  the  baby  by  the  combined 
effort  of  the  crew ! 

"  Good  Lord  ! "  whispered  Lang,  who  was  not  in 
the  secret,  "  wot  is  it  ?  A  bath-tub  ?  " 

44  Cap'n  Little,  sir,"  said  the  captain  of  the  after 

88 


THE   CREW  REMEMBERED   THE   BABY 

guard,  shifting  his  quid  and  rolling  his  eyes  ner- 
vously, after  wiping  his  mouth  with  the  back  of  his 
hand,  and  knuckling  his  forehead,  "Arter  discuss- 
ing this  matter  thoroughly  we  concluded  to  give 
Master  Ned  this  yere  punch-bowl,  w'ich,  of  course, 
we  knows  he  ain't  drinkin'  punch  yit,  but  there's  no 
tellin'  how  soon  he'll  be,  an*  we  wants  him  to  have 
enough  w'en  he  gits  it.  Wen  he  can't  git  punch, 
this  yere  thing'll  do  fer  grog,  w'ich  is  a  fine  drink  fer 
a  sailor,  w'ich  you  means  to  make  out  of  him.  He 
couldn't  be  nuthin'  else,  an'  it's  our  opinion,  not 
bein'  as  familiar  with  kids  as  Jack  Lang  there,  but 
bein'  good  seamen  an'  men  of  sense,  that  the  quicker 
he  begins  on  grog  the  better.  Therefore,  we  pre- 
sents it  to  him  fer  you  to  keep  fer  him  with  our  love 
an'  duty,  an'  we  calls  your  attention  to  its  markin's." 

Biting  his  lip  to  control  his  laughter  at  the  singu- 
larly inappropriate  gift,  and  yet  touched  at  the  dis- 
play of  loving  generosity  involved  in  the  purchase 
of  the  massive  piece  of  silver,  Captain  Little  grsfrvely 
examined  the  bowl,  which  bore  this  inscription  : 
"  To  the  ship's  baby,  Master  Ned  Boston,  with  the 
humble  duty  of  his  shipmates  of  the  United  States 
sloop-of-war,  Boston" 

"  Men,"  said  the  captain,  "  your  gift  does  you 
proud.  In  behalf  of  Master  Ned  Boston,  I  thank 
you  for  it.  It  is  just  what  might  have  been  ex- 
pected from  such  a  fine  body  of  prime  seamen  and 
brave  fellows  as  you  are.  I  don't  know  just  when 
babies  commence  to  drink  punch,  but  as  soon  as 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

the  time  comes,  he  shall  have  his  first  swallow  out 
of  your  bowl.  Meanwhile  I  have  directed  my  stew- 
ard to  prepare  a  tub  of  that  same  punch  and  I  want 
you  all  to  splice  the  main  brace  with  me  to  the 
health  of  the  baby,  our  little  shipmate,  Master  Ned 
Boston." 

"  W'ich  we'll  do  it  with  pleasure,  Cap'n,"  cried  the 
jack-of-the-dust  enthusiastically. 

"  Shipmates,"  said  the  captain  of  the  foretop,  pip- 
ing up,  "  three  cheers  for  Cap'n  Little  ! " 

"  An'  three  cheers  for  the  ship's  babby  ! "  added 
the  captain  of  the  after  guard. 

It  was  later  when  the  officers  assembled  to  pre- 
sent their  gifts.  They  had  spent  hours  ransacking 
the  Boston  shops  and  came  back  loaded  with  strange 
and  unfamiliar,  and  it  must  be  confessed  somewhat 
inappropriate,  fabrics  and  garments.  They  had  pur- 
chased them  mainly  because  of  their  beauty  and 
costliness,  without  much  regard  either  to  size  or 
utility.  There  were  shoes  which  were  too  large, 
and  little  boots  which  were  too  small ;  dresses  for 
children  three  or  four  years  old,  and  little  slips  for 
infants  in  arms,  but  they  were  gravely  laid  at  the 
feet  of  Master  Boston,  with  kindly  and  generous 
affection  and  pride. 

The  officers,  mostly  recruited  from  the  hard  mer- 
chant service,  were  unfamiliar  with  babies  or  their 
clothes,  or  any  of  the  niceties  of  life,  but  they,  with 
the  young  midshipmen,  who  knew  nothing  at  all 
about  such  matters,  had  done  their  best.  Happily 

90 


THE   CREW  REMEMBERED   THE   BABY 

there  was  no  woman  present  to  see  the  ludicrous 
side  of  their  efforts,  and  Captain  Little,  in  behalf  of 
his  little  godson,  was  duly  and  correspondingly 
grateful. 

Thus  began  the  shore  life  of  Master  Boston,  and 
he  might  have  been  considered  fortunate  in  the 
possession  of  a  huge  silver  punch-bowl  and  a  mis- 
cellaneous assortment  of  clothing,  little  of  which  he 
could  use.  These  things  might  not  count  for  much, 
however,  but  they  meant  that  he  possessed  the  af- 
fection of  three  hundred  officers  and  men  who 
would  never  forget  him,  and  many  of  whom  would 
be  brought  in  contact  with  him  in  after  years. 
When  to  all  this  were  added  the  devotion  of  Jack 
Lang  and  the  determination  of  the  captain  to  pro- 
vide for  his  future,  he  was  certainly  the  luckiest  of 
little  castaways. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    WASP  GETS   A   NEW    "REEFER*' 

ONE  pleasant,  sunny  morning  in  the  early  summer 
of  1812,  not  quite  twelve  years  after  the  finding  of 
Master  Ned  Boston,  a  sturdy  little  youngster,  wear- 
ing a  midshipman's  roundabout  with  a  long  dirk,  or 
midshipman's  straight  sword,  dangling  about  his 
small  legs,  stood  on  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of  Mar- 
ket Street,  Philadelphia,  eagerly  gazing  out  at  a 
handsome  little  full-rigged  ship  swinging  to  the  ebb 
in  mid-stream  before  him. 

His  bright  face  flushed  with  pleasure  as  he  looked 
at  her.  Not  without  some  experience  was  he  in 
judging  the  appearance  of  ships,  as  he  had  spent  a 
large  portion  of  his  life  in  the  Boston  shipyards ; 
certainly  most  of  his  playtime  had  been  passed 
there,  at  any  rate.  Although  he  was  only  a  lad,  he 
was  sufficiently  well  informed  to  take  in  the  beau- 
tiful lines  of  the  vessel's  hull  and  to  mark  the  wide 
reach  of  her  spreading  yard-arms  across  her  lofty 
spars.  That  he  was  a  patriotic  little  American  ac- 
counted for  the  delight  with  which  his  eyes  dwelt 
on  the  new  flag  rippling  out  from  the  gaff  end.  As 
he  looked  he  took  off  his  hat  and  saluted  it,  smiling 
buoyantly  and  brightly  as  he  did  so. 

9* 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER" 

At  his  feet  was  a  small  sea-chest.  In  his  breast- 
pocket, and  his  hand  went  to  his  jacket  from  time  to 
time  to  reassure  himself  of  their  presence,  were  two 
very  important  papers.  One  was  a  long  official 
envelope  enclosing  a  midshipman's  warrant  in  the 
United  States  Navy  and  orders  assigning  him  to 
the  ship  before  him  ;  the  other  a  private  letter  which 
bore  the  following  superscription  : 

"To  Master-Commandant  Jacob  Jones,  U.  S.  N., 
commanding  the  United  States  Sloop-of-war 
W&sp* 

The  letter  was  from  our  old  friend,  Commodore 
George  Little,  now  living  in  retirement  near  Boston 
in  his  old  age  ;  and  it  commended  to  the  care  of 
Captain  Jones,*  to  whose  ship  the  newly  made  mid- 
shipman was  attached,  the  commodore's  little 
adopted  son,  Master  Ned  Boston,  to  whom,  indeed, 
Captain  Jones  had  stood  sponsor  on  the  deck  of  the 
old  Boston  not  twelve  years  before. 

Now  Master  Ned  Boston  had  enjoyed  no  prac- 
tical experience  on  the  sea  as  yet,  although  he  had 
lived  in  an  ocean  atmosphere  upon  the  seashore. 
Commodore  Little  had  many  times  told  him  of  his 
various  cruises,  and  during  the  first  few  years  of  his 
life  under  Commodore  Little's  roof  he  had  been 
intimately  associated  with  one  Jack  Lang,  a  sailor 
filled  to  the  hatches,  as  the  saying  ran,  with  rare 
and  curious  information  about  distant  lands  and  seas, 

*An  officer  bearing  the  rank   of   Master   Commandant   was  invariably 
called  Captain  in  ordinary  intercourse. 

93 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

and  a  seaman  unsurpassed  in  his  profession.  When 
Master  Ned  Boston  had  been  fairly  launched  upon 
the  sea  of  life,  however,  Jack  Lang,  restless  as  the 
born  sailor  always  is,  had  resigned  his  position  as 
nurse-in-chief  and  had  drifted  out  into  the  seafaring 
world  once  more,  and  though  he  had  come  back 
once  or  twice  between  voyages,  of  late  years  he  had 
been  lost  sight  of. 

Whenever  there  had  been  any  fighting  to  be 
done  Lang  had  been  in  the  thick  of  it.  He  had 
served  under  Decatur  in  the  Tripolitan  War,  and  it 
had  been  easy  to  keep  track  of  him  then,  but  in  the 
piping  times  of  peace  that  followed  he  had  been  lost 
sight  of. 

When  the  War  of  1812  broke  out  Master  Ned 
Boston  pleaded  so  earnestly  with  his  adopted  father 
to  allow  him  to  go  to  sea  that  Commodore  Little 
had  exerted  his  influence — which  was  considerable — 
to  procure  for  his  ward,  whom  he  loved  as  if  he 
had  been  his  own  son,  a  warrant  as  a  midshipman. 
He  had  further  bestirred  himself  to  get  the  boy 
appointed  to  the  Wasp,  whose  captain  he  thought 
highly  of  as  a  steady,  careful  officer,  who  might, 
moreover,  take  a  special  interest  in  the  very  young 
aspirant  for  naval  glory  committed  to  his  care,  be- 
cause of  the  peculiar  part  he  had  taken  in  that  long- 
ago  christening  on  the  Boston. 

Indeed  Captain  Jones  had  been  so  much  inter- 
ested in  the  waif  that  for  a  time  he  had  maintained 
a  correspondence  with  Commodore  Little  concern- 

94 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER" 

ing  him,  but  the  passing  years  crowded  with  other 
duties  had  prevented  him  from  keeping  up  the  mat- 
ter, and  he  had  neither  seen  nor  heard  from  the 
little  boy  for  many  years.  He  had  not  forgotten 
him,  however. 

There  had  been  some  delay  in  the  issuance  of  the 
warrant,  and  Ned's  orders  to  the  Wasp,  which  had 
hurried  back  from  France  with  despatches  when  the 
news  of  the  declaration  of  war  had  been  received, 
and  she  had  already  completed  refitting  and  over- 
hauling, and  was  about  ready  to  weigh  anchor  on 
her  memorable  cruise  when  Ned  arrived  at  Philadel- 
phia, after  a  long  and  tedious  journey  by  boat  and 
stage  from  Boston,  by  way  of  New  York. 

As  the  boy  stood  in  some  perplexity  upon  the 
wharf,  looking  out  at  the  ship,  he  was  hailed  by  a 
boatman  alongside. 

"  Good-mornin',  young  gentleman,"  said  the  man 
from  his  skiff  in  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the  landing- 
stairs,  "be  ye  wantin'  to  git  aboard  yonder  ship ? " 

"  What  ship  will  it  be,  boatman  ? "  queried  the 
youngster. 

"'Tis  the  United  States  ship  Wasp,  sir,  bound 
on  a  cruise.  She's  been  overhaulin'  fer  several 
months,  an'  she's  now  about  ready  to  weigh." 

"  That's  the  ship  I  want  then,"  returned  the  boy. 
"I  am  warranted  a  midshipman  on  board  of  her," 
he  added  with  conscious  pride. 

41  Are  ye  now  ?  Ah,  'tis  a  lucky  ship  she  is,  to 
have  such  fine  young  officers,"  said  the  man  ingen- 

95 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

uously.  "  Can't  I  have  the  pleasure  of  puttin*  yer 
honor  aboard,  sir  ?  " 

"  You  can,"  said  the  boy,  promptly,  jumping  at 
the  chance.  "  How  much  will  it  be  ?" 

"  Well,  seein's  you're  only  a  midshipman  an'  jest 
joinin'  it,  I'll  do  it  fer  a  quarter  of  a  dollar." 

The  regular  charge  would  have  been  ten  cents  or 
a  shilling,  but  Ned  was  too  anxious  to  join  his  ship 
to  think  of  the  price,  and  if  the  man  had  asked  a 
dollar  he  might  have  had  it  as  easily  as  the  amount 
designated. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  boy,  "  come  up  here  and  get 
my  sea-chest  and  row  me  over." 

In  a  few  moments  the  boat  swept  alongside  the 
starboard  gangway  and  the  boatman  received  his 
quarter,  having  first  unceremoniously  shoved  the 
chest  through  one  of  the  ports  to  the  deck,  and  Mas- 
ter Ned  climbed  up  the  battens,  stepped  through  the 
gangway,  and  found  himself  for  the  second  time  in 
his  life  on  the  deck  of  an  American  man-of-war. 

His  first  reception  was  not  particularly  cordial.  A 
tall  dark  man  in  naval  uniform  came  swiftly  toward 
him,  bent  his  brows  and  looked  down  upon  him. 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  said,  sharply,  "who  are  you  ?" 

"  My  name  is  Boston,  sir.     Ned  Boston." 

"  Good  New  England  name,  that,"  answered  the 
officer,  smiling  derisively,  "and  what  is  your  busi- 
ness ?  " 

"  I — I  am  a  midshipman,  sir,"  replied  the  boy, 
timorously — "  in  the  United  States  Navy,"  he  con- 

96 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER" 

tinued,  with  growing  importance  as  if  the  announce- 
ment of  this  fact  were  sure  to  impress  that  officer 
greatly,  "and  I  am  ordered  to  this  ship,  sir." 

"A  midshipman,  are  you?"  roared  the  officer, 
whose  name  was  Rodgers,  scowling  at  the  boy. 
"Well,  sir,  what  do  you  mean  by  coming  aboard 
through  the  starboard  gangway  ?  Don't  you  know 
that's  reserved  for  officers  ?  " 

"  Am  I  not  an  officer,  sir?"  queried  the  small  mid- 
shipman, nervously. 

"  Officer  ?  Great  heavens  ! "  ejaculated  the  man, 
bursting  into  provoking  laughter.  "  I  don't  know 
what  you  are.  In  time  you  may  become  an  officer, 
but  as  to  now — why  don't  you  take  off  your  hat  and 
salute,  you  young  cub  ?  "  he  added,  sharply. 

"  Come,  come,  Rodgers,"  interrupted  a  gentle- 
manly looking  young  man  coming  up  through  the 
hatchway  while  the  colloquy  was  being  carried  on, 
"  don't  frighten  the  youngster  to  death." 

"  I'm  not  afraid,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  straightening 
up. 

"  Good  boy  ! "  said  the  last  speaker.  "  Never  be 
afraid  of  anything  unless  it  be  the  captain  or  your 
superior  officers.  What's  your  name  ?  " 

"  Boston,  sir." 

"  Boston  ?    That's  a  queer  name." 

"  It's  all  I  have,  sir,"  said  poor  Ned,  who  knew 
the  mystery  of  his  birth,  for  the  commodore  had 
told  him  all  he  knew  as  he  hung  the  locket  about 
his  neck,  gave  him  the  ring,  and  bade  him  good-by, 

97 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"except,  of  course  my  Christian  name,  which  is 
Ned,"  he  added. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Boston,  so  you  have  been  appointed 
to  this  ship,  have  you  ?  Let  me  see  your  warrant 
I  am  Mr.  Biddle,  first  lieutenant  of  the  Wasp" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Ned,  producing  all  his  docu- 
ments in  his  confusion. 

"Why,  what's  this?"  exclaimed  Biddle,  glancing 
at  them.  "  Mr.  Rodgers,  this  is  a  letter  to  Captain 
Jones.  Will  you  send  a  midshipman  below  with 
this  letter  ?  " 

"Mr.  Holcomb,"  called  out  Rodgers  to  the  mid- 
shipman of  the  watch,  "  take  this  letter " 

44  And  these  orders,  too,"  interrupted  Biddle. 

" — to  Captain  Jones  with  my  compliments,  and 
tell  him  that  Midshipman  Boston  has  come  aboard 
and  reports  for  duty." 

"  Mr.  Van  Cleave,"  added  Biddle,  turning  to  an- 
other midshipman,  much  older  than  our  hero,  "I 
place  Mr.  Boston  under  your  charge.  Introduce 
him  to  the  reefer's  mess,  and  see  that  he  learns  the 
ropes  generally." 

44  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  the  lad,  touching  his  cap.  Then 
turning  to  Ned, 44  Come  along  with  me,  youngster," 
he  said  brusquely,  but  not  unkindly. 

44  Keep  him  on  deck,  Mr.  Van  Cleave,"  said  Bid- 
die.  44  The  captain  might  wish  to  see  him.  By  the 
way,  Mr.  Boston,  how  about  your  dunnage  ?  " 

44 1  have  a  sea-chest,  sir,  that  was  put  through  one 
of  the  windows — port  holes,  I  mean,  sir."  He  hur- 

98 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER" 

riedly  corrected  his  answer  as  soon  as  it  escaped 
him. 

"  Ports,  we  generally  call  them,  sir,"  said  Biddle  ; 
"  ports,  Mr.  Boston,"  he  continued,  in  the  midst  of 
a  general  titter  from  the  midshipman  and  others 
within  earshot.  Then  noting  the  dark  flush  of 
mortification  on  the  boy's  face,  who  as  a  matter  of 
fact  was  quite  aware  of  his  harmless  little  blunder, 
he  added,  "  Tis  a  mistake  we  are  all  liable  to  make. 
You  will  make  a  great  many  worse  ones,  Mr.  Bos- 
ton. I'll  give  you  a  little  advice.  Don't  be 
ashamed  of  your  mistakes  unless  they  come  from 
carelessness.  Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open  and 
do  your  best  to  learn,  and  you  will  soon  be  as  good 
a  seaman  as  the  rest  of  us.  That  is  all.  Poor  little 
youngster,"  he  said  to  Rodgers,  who  was  standing 
watch,  as  Boston  walked  timidly  forward  in  the 
wake  of  his  lordly  guide. 

"  He'll  have  a  hard  time  before  he  gets  licked 
into  shape,"  answered  the  latter.  "  What  under  the 
sun  do  they  send  such  babies  to  sea  for  ?  Why  that 
boy  can't  be  more  than  twelve  years  old,  and  he  is 
small  for  his  age  at  that.  He  ought  to  be  at  home 
in  a  nursery.  He  needs  the  discipline  of  a  female, 
not  a  ship." 

"  George  Rodgers,"  said  Biddle,  smiling,  "  if  I 
didn't  know  you  had  the  best  heart  in  the  world  and 
that  you're  probably  going  to  take  this  youngster 
under  your  own  particular  wing,  I'd  think  very 
badly  of  you." 

99 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"Jim,"  answered  Rodgers,  laughing  in  turn, 
"  what  can  a  man  do  ?  By  heavens,  I  haven't  for- 
gotten when  I  was  a  poor  little  devil  of  a  midship- 
man myself,  kicked  about  by  every  bully  in  the 
steerage,  and  every  tyrant  on  quarter-deck.  I  may 
be  rough,  as  you  say,  because  I  have  the  manners 
of  those  who  broke  me  in,  but  that  little  chap  shall 
have  fair  play  if  I've  got  anything  to  do  with  it." 

"  Captain  Jones  presents  his  compliments,  sir," 
said  Midshipman  Holcomb,  coming  up  to  the  two 
officers  and  touching  his  cap,  "and  he  would  like  to 
see  Midshipman  Boston  in  his  cabin  at  once,  sir." 

"  Mr.  Van  Cleave,"  called  out  Rodgers.  "  Take 
Mr.  Boston  into  the  cabin.  The  captain  wishes  to 
see  him.  Bo's'n,  detail  a  couple  of  men  to  strike 
Mr.  Boston's  chest  below  in  the  steerage.  You'll 
find  it  on  the  deck  yonder  by  number  six  gun  on 
the  starboard  side." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Boatswain  McCland,  as  Bos- 
ton followed  the  midshipman  into  the  cabin. 

He  found  himself  in  a  small  room  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  officer  seated  at  a  large  table.  His  con- 
ductor stopped  as  he  entered  the  cabin,  removed 
his  hat,  and  reported,  "  Midshipman  Boston,  sir, 
according  to  orders." 

"  Very  good,  Mr.  Van  Cleave.  You  may  return 
on  deck  and  tell  Mr.  Biddle  to  call  hands  to  get 
under  way.  Direct  him  to  heave  short  and  when 
he  is  up  and  down  to  let  me  know." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  the   boy,  his  eyes   dancing 

100 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER" 

with  pleasurable  excitement  in  anticipation  of  the 
cruise  about  to  begin,  as  he  saluted  and  darted  out 
of  the  cabin,  leaving  the  forlorn  little  Ned  alone 
with  his  new  commander,  a  very  imposing,  some- 
what fierce-looking  man  with  hooked  nose,  beetling 
brows,  and  great  shock  of  reddish  hair. 

"So  you  are  Master  Boston,  are  you?"  said  the 
captain,  clasping  his  hands  and  resting  his  elbows 
upon  the  table,  while  staring  hard  at  the  little 
fellow. 

"  Please,  sir,  yes,  sir,"  answered  Ned. 

"  Um !  You  don't  look  much  like  the  little 
baby  I  saw  last,  some  dozen  years  back,"  said  the 
captain,  retrospectively.  "  Well,  sir,  you  were  born 
to  be  a  sailor,  picked  up  on  the  ocean  and  chris- 
tened on  the  sea,  and  I  am  glad  to  welcome  you  to 
my  ship.  I  have  a  letter  here  from  my  old  friend, 
your  father,  Commodore  Little,  in  which  he  com- 
mends you  to  my  care.  I  shall  do  the  best  I  can 
for  you ;  that  is  to  say,  I  will  see  that  you  get  fair 
play  and  a  chance.  I  can  do  no  more.  A  ship's  a 
rough  school.  You  will  have  to  fight  for  yourself 
and  do  the  best  you  can.  Obey  all  orders  you  get 
promptly,  and  don't  talk  back.  Do  you  mark 
that  ?  "  he  queried,  pointing  his  finger  at  the  boy. 
"  Don't  talk  back  !  If  you  have  anything  to  say  to 
an  officer,  it's  generally  the  best  plan  not  to  say  it ! 
I'll  keep  an  eye  on  you,  and  if  you  do  anything 
worthy  of  notice  I'll  see  that  it  is  known.  One 
thing  more.  I  was  one  of  your  godfathers.  I'm 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

afraid  we  don't  think  much  about  God,  or  fathers 
either,  on  ships  of  war,  Mr.  Boston,  but  I  am 
reminded  that  I  am  responsible  to  some  extent,  for 
your  religious  training.  I'll  admit  I'm  a  pretty 
poor  hand  in  the  direction,  too,  but  I  recognize  the 
fact  and  I  will  give  you  some  more  advice.  Don't 
swear  and  don't  drink  !  A  man  may  be  excused 
from  a  gentlemanly  oath  once  in  a  while,  in  a  great 
emergency,  sir ;  and  good  liquor  taken  in  modera- 
tion may  help  a  prime  seaman,  but  boys  can  let 
them  both  alone.  As  for  me,  sir,  I  confine  myself 
to  a  morning  and  evening  dram  and  never  allow 
myself  more  than  one  damn  per  watch.  See  that 
you  do  neither.  I'll  look  out  for  you  as  I  do  every 
man  or  boy  committed  to  my  care  on  this  ship  and 
I  warn  you  not  to  come  to  me  with  any  tales  of 
trouble.  That  will  do,  sir.  Good-morning." 

These  plain  spoken  words  of  homely  advice  were 
not  unwelcome  to  the  lad  in  spite  of  the  rather 
startling  admonitions  and  the  curious  philosophy  of 
the  captain.  He  felt  instinctively  that  the  ship  was 
commanded  by  a  fair  man  who  would  prove  his 
friend  if  he  deserved  it.  When  he  came  to  the 
deck  again,  the  former  quiet  and  order  had  given 
place  to  what  appeared  to  him  a  scene  of  wild  con- 
fusion. 

The  men  at  the  foot  of  the  masts  were  overhaul- 
ing the  gear,  casting  the  ropes  off  the  pins  and  coil- 
ing them  upon  the  deck,  clearing  everything  for 
running ;  the  bars  had  been  shipped  in  the  capstan 

103 


THE  WASP   GETS  A   NEW   "REEFER' 

forward  and  manned  by  a  great  portion  of  the 
crew,  who,  to  the  shrill  music  of  the  fife,  were  walk- 
ing in  the  cable.  As  Captain  Jones  came  on  deck, 
Mr.  Rodgers,  who  was  stationed  in  the  forecastle, 
peering  over  the  bows  at  the  cable,  which  had  been 
hove  in  until  it  ran  perpendicularly  from  the  hawse 
pipe  to  the  anchor,  cried  out : 

"  We're  hove  short,  sir." 

"  Avast  heaving ! "  cried  Diddle,  promptly,  and  as 
the  men  stopped  surging  upon  the  capstan  he 
turned  to  the  captain,  touched  his  hat,  and  reported : 

"  We  are  up  and  down,  sir." 

"Send  the  topmen  aloft,  loose  the  head  sails, 
cast  to  starboard,  and  trip,  sir,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Lay  aloft,  topmen  ! "  cried  Lieutenant  Biddle. 
"  Mr.  Rodgers,  loose  the  head  sails,  sir,  lead  along 
the  jib  halliards.  Heave  away  on  the  bars  there,  the 
rest  of  you  ! "  he  continued,  and  as  Jones  nodded  to 
him,  "  Heave  and  break  away!  Heave  and  pawl !" 
he  shouted. 

Meanwhile  the  shrouds  were  covered  with  figures 
who  presently  clustered  about  the  topsail  yards, 
lying  snug  amidships  while  the  men  on  deck  were 
heaving  against  the  capstan.  As  the  anchor  grip 
was  broken  away  Biddle  lifted  the  trumpet  to  his 
lips  and  cried : 

"  Lay  out,  and  loose  ! " 

"  Anchors  aweigh,  sir,"  reported  Rodgers  from 
the  forecastle. 

"Man  the  topsail  sheets  and  halyards,  jib  hal- 

103 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

yards  ! "  cried  the  lieutenant.  "  Let  fall !  Lay  in  ! 
Sheet  home  !  Hoist  away  !  Overhaul  the  clewlines 
and  down  hauls  there !  Starboard  your  helm ! 
Hands  by  the  lee  braces !  Smartly,  lads  ! " 

"Very  handsomely  done,  Mr.  Biddle,"  remarked 
the  captain,  in  a  tone  which  from  its  unusual  carry- 
ing power  could  easily  be  heard  all  over  the  ship,  as 
the  sails  were  sheeted  home,  the  yards  mast-headed, 
the  jibs  hoisted,  and  the  ship  under  the  fresh  breeze 
swung  to  starboard  and  gathered  way. 

"  Get  the  anchor  catted  and  fished  at  once,  sir, 
then  get  the  courses  and  to'-gallant  sails  on  her. 
Mr.  Rodgers,"  he  added,  as  that  officer  came  aft  to 
take  the  watch  again.  "  I  think  you  might  give 
the  citizens  a  gun  to  let  them  know  we  are  under 
way.  They  seem  to  be  taking  a  deal  of  interest 
in  this  ship.  He  pointed  to  the  wharves  black 
with  masses  of  men,  whose  cheers  came  faintly 
down  the  wind  as  the  ship,  favored  by  the  ebb  tide 
and  the  river  current,  slipped  rapidly  down  the 
river. 


CHAPTER  XII 

FUN    IN   THE   STEERAGE 

DURING  all  this  apparent  confusion  Ned  Boston 
had  stood  aft  on  the  quarter-deck,  gazing  with  open 
mouth  at  the  successive  manoeuvres  by  which  the 
canvas  was  set  on  the  broad  yard-arms,  the  yards 
were  mast-headed,  the  anchor  hove  up  to  the  hawse- 
pipe,  and  the  ship  got  under  way.  In  spite  of 
every  care  not  to  get  in  the  way  of  anybody,  he 
was  bumped  into  and  banged  about  by  everybody. 
It  did  not  seem  possible  that  one  small  boy  could 
manage  to  place  himself  in  the  road  of  so  many 
people  in  so  short  a  time,  but  the  youngster  did 
not  realize  that  the  treatment  he  was  being  sub- 
jected to  was  a  part  of  the  breaking-in  of  the  newly 
joined,  which  was  customary  on  ships  of  war  of 
that  period — and  for  long  before  and  after  for  that 
matter — and  which  might  be  carried  even  to  more 
unpleasant  and  damaging  lengths.  He  had  never 
been  on  a  cruise  before  and  his  knowledge  of  ships 
was  purely  theoretical. 

Nobody  noticed  him  in  any  other  way,  however, 
until  sail  had  been  made  and  the  ship  had  pro- 
gressed some  distance  down  the  river.  Then  Mid- 
shipman Van  Cleave,  to  whose  care  he  had  been 

105 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

committed,  tapped  him  on  the  shoulder  and  bade 
him  follow  him  below. 

Descending  the  ladder  to  the  berth-deck  after  his 
conductor,  Ned  found  himself  in  a  narrow,  gloomy, 
ill-smelling  little  apartment  called  the  steerage, 
extending  across  the  ship  just  forward  of  the  ward- 
room. There  were  transoms  on  either  side  form- 
ing rude  couches,  with  rows  of  drawers  or  lockers 
beneath.  Above  the  lockers  were  a  few  round 
openings  called  air-ports,  or  dead  lights,  now  tightly 
closed  with  solid  balks  of  timber  and  tightly 
calked.  In  port  these  would  have  been  open  to 
admit  light  and  air,  but  at  sea  they  were  kept 
rigidly  closed.  There  was  a  table  extending  the 
length  of  the  room  amidships,  a  few  wooden  stools 
of  the  commonest  make,  a  couple  of  tin  wash-basins, 
and  a  locker  with  a  limited  supply  of  crockery  and 
tin-ware  completed  the  furniture  of  the  apartment. 

Three  or  four  lads,  all  of  them  larger  and  older 
than  Boston,  were  in  the  room  when  he  came 
below.  Two  of  them  were  sprawled  out  on  the 
lockers,  one  sat  on  the  table,  another  knelt  before 
an  open  sea-chest,  the  contents  of  which  he  was 
overhauling  in  an  entirely  unceremonious  way. 
Ned  noticed  with  surprise  and  indignation  that  it 
was  his  own  chest  with  which  such  liberties  were 
being  taken. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Va  Cleave,  "  I  want  to 
introduce  to  you  Mr.  Ned  Boston,  the  newest 
member  of  the  steerage  mess.  Mr.  Boston,  these 

106 


FUN   IN   THE   STEERAGE 

are  your  immediate  superiors.  You  know,  of 
course,  that  you  are  to  obey  all  the  orders  of  all 
your  superiors,  but  especially  of  the  midshipmen." 

"  As  this  is  Mr.  Boston's  first  introduction  to  the 
steerage,"  remarked  Midshipman  Claxton,  the  boy 
kneeling  at  the  chest,  "and  as  I  have  found  in  his 
chest,  which  I  have  ventured  to  open,  gentlemen, 
in  order  to  ascertain  if  there  are  any  articles  which 
the  regulations  do  not  allow  United  States  ships- 
of-war  to  carry,  this  bottle,  which  presumably  con- 
tains something  to  drink,  therefore,  I  propose  that 
we  drink  his  health  in  his  own  liquor,  and,  as  I  have 
no  doubt  you  are  all  agreed  with  me,  I  will  set  the 
example  by  taking  the  first  drink." 

Pulling  the  cork,  which  seemed  rather  difficult, 
without  further  remark,  he  lifted  the  bottle  to  his 
lips  and  took  a  long  drink,  Ned  Boston  glowering 
at  him,  too  angry  and  astonished  to  speak.  The 
young  fellow  put  the  bottle  down  instantly,  gasp- 
ing, choking,  and  yelling  like  a  mad  man  as  he  did 
so. 

"Wha — wha — what  do  you  mean,  sir?"  he 
shouted,  amid  the  jeers  and  laughter  of  his  mates, 
"  by  deluding  a  gentleman  in  this  manner  ?  What 
is  this  infernal  stuff  anyway  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  pain-killer,  sir,"  answered  Boston,  quietly; 
44  my  Aunt  Little  put  it  up  for  me." 

"  Pain-killer  ?  Good  heavens,  I  thought  it  was  a 
midshipman-killer  !  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  what 
it  was  before  I  drank  it  ?  " 

107 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  You  didn't  ask  me,  sir,  and  the  captain  told  me 
never  to  volunteer  any  information." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Boston,  you  have  insulted  me,"  con- 
tinued the  midshipman,  wrathfully,  "  you've  got  to 
give  me  satisfaction.  I  suppose  you  have  never 
used  a  firearm  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have.  I  can  hit  a  quarter  with  a  rifle  at 
a  hundred  paces  five  times  out  of  ten  without  diffi- 
culty." 

"  Whew ! "  said  the  older  boy,  somewhat  taken 
aback  by  this  extraordinary  proficiency.  "  I  guess 
we'd  better  meet  then  with  small  swords,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  sir.  Old  Commodore  Little  taught 
me  how  to  handle  a  sword,  and  he  always  told  me 
never  to  decline  a  meeting  with  a  gentleman,"  an- 
swered the  small  boy  bravely,  though  his  nether  lip 
trembled  in  spite  of  himself  at  the  strangeness  and 
terror  of  the  situation.  "Are  you  a  gentleman, 
sir  ?  "  he  asked,  innocently. 

"  I  see  I'll  have  to  teach  you  to  know  what  I  am 
with  the  rope's  end,"  roared  the  angry  midshipman, 
coming  forward  and  pulling  from  his  pocket  a 
knotted  rope,  called  a  colt,  which  the  older  mid- 
shipmen were  sometimes  permitted  to  carry  to  em- 
phasize their  orders  to  a  shirker  among  the  crew. 

He  raised  his  hand,  and  before  Boston  divined 
what  was  about  to  happen  he  struck  him  a  sharp 
blow  across  the  shoulders.  With  a  cry  like  a  young 
tiger,  the  boy  sprang  at  his  larger  antagonist.  So 
sudden  was  his  onset  that  he  fairly  knocked  the 

108 


FUN    IN   THE   STEERAGE 

other  down.  Claxton's  head  struck  the  corner  of 
an  open  drawer  in  the  nearest  locker,  and  he  lay  on 
the  deck  senseless.  Ned  rose  to  his  feet  and  stood 
over  him,  with  clenched  fists  and  heaving  bosom, 
but  as  he  saw  the  other  boy  lying  there  so  still  and 
white  a  great  fear  filled  him. 

"  Oh,"  he  cried,  "  is  he  badly  hurt  ?  Have  I 
killed  him  ? " 

"  Don't  worry,  youngster,"  said  Van  Cleave,  lay- 
ing his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  "  it  takes  a  harder 
shock  than  this  to  break  Claxton's  head.  I  know 
him.  He'll  be  all  right  presently.  Hand  me  that 
can  of  water,  McLuney." 

The  prostrate  figure  was  promptly  soused  with 
the  cold  water  and  in  a  few  moments  Claxton 
revived  and  sat  up,  looking  vacantly  about  him, 
until  his  eye  rested  on  his  puny  antagonist. 

"  Good  heavens  ! "  he  cried,  more  in  surprise  than 
anger,  "  but  you  are  a  wild  cat,  youngster  1  I  never 
dreamed  it  was  in  you.  What  will  you  be  when 
you  grow  up  ? "  As  he  spoke  the  boy  rose  to  his 
feet.  "  Now  youngster,"  he  added,  rather  grimly, 
"  I  don't  bear  any  malice  on  this  account.  But 
you've  struck  your  superior  officer.  That's  a  crime 
at  sea,  and  you've  got  to  suffer  for  it.  Eh,  fel- 
lows?" 

"That's  right,"  answered  the  rest  of  the  lads  in 
chorus,  "  he  ought  to  be  well  colted." 

"Take  it  quietly.     Grin  and  bear  it,  youngster," 

whispered  Van  Cleave  aside  to  Boston.     "  If  you 

109 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

do,  you  won't  have  any  more  trouble  in  the  steer- 
age. Everybody's  got  to  take  more  or  less  of  this 
stuff." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  Boston  aloud.  "  If  it  be 
the  custom  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  take  it." 

"You're  a  good  plucky  youngster,  I  see,"  ex- 
claimed his  big  tormentor,  this  time  approaching 
him  cautiously,  as  if  ready  for  another  outburst. 
He  laid  the  colt  on  Boston's  shoulders  in  two  or 
three  sharp  blows.  The  little  fellow  quivered  with 
pain,  but  clenched  his  teeth  and  hands  and  said 
nothing.  At  the  third  blow  Claxton  threw  down 
the  colt. 

"  Dash  it  all ! "  he  said,  "  I  can't  keep  on  hitting 
a  baby  like  that." 

"Am  I  taking  it  like  a  baby!"  cried  the  little 
boy,  more  hurt  by  this  apparent  insult  than  by  the 
blows. 

"You're  taking  it  like  a  man,  youngster,"  said 
Claxton  warmly,  already  ashamed  of  his  action, 
*'  I've  colted  you  and  you  knocked  me  down. 
We're  square  !  Put  your  little  flipper  in  there,"  he 
cried,  generously  extending  his  hand ;  "  we're 
friends.  You  have  paid  your  shot  in  this  steerage. 
Nobody  else'll  lay  a  hand  on  you  while  I  am  by. 
Eh,  gentlemen ! " 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Ned,  and  then  put  his 
head  on  his  hands  and  burst  into  tears  now  that  it 
was  all  over. 

"  Here,   here,  that  will   never  do ! "   cried  Van 

no 


FUN   IN   THE   STEERAGE 

Cleave,  "  what's  the  matter  with  you  ?  Did  it  hurt 
so  much  ?  " 

"  I'm  crying  because  you're  all  going  to  be  kind 
to  me,"  s'obbed  the  little  boy  in  the  reaction  caused 
by  this  sudden  change  of  front. 

"  Well,  don't  worry  about  that,"  said  Ten  Eyck, 
another  of  the  oldsters  of  the  mess  ;  "  you'll  not  get 
another  colting — that's  fixed  all  right.  But  you've 
got  to  learn  the  ropes  yet,  and  you'll  come  across  a 
great  many  kinks  one  way  or  another  before  you 
get  through.  Now,  then,  that  medicine  of  yours. 
Shipmates,  don't  you  think  that  would  be  just  the 
thing  for  poor  Charlie  Noble  ?  " 

"  The  very  thing  for  him !  Poor  fellow,  he's 
been  looking  so  peaked  and  miserable  that  I'm 
afraid  he'll  never  get  well,"  answered  Claxton,  sym- 
pathetically. 

"Show  your  Christian  spirit,  Boston,  and  give 
him  a  taste  of  it.  If  it  doesn't  clear  him  out,  noth- 
ing ever  will,"  added  Ten  Eyck. 

"  I  tell  you  what  to  do,  youngster,"  broke  in  Van 
Cleave,  gravely,  "  you  take  this  bottle  of  medicine 
to  the  officer  of  the  watch.  You  will  find  him 
walking  on  the  quarter-deck  on  the  starboard  side. 
That  side  there !  He'll  probably  be  carrying  a 
trumpet.  You  can  go  up  to  him  and  ask  him  if  he 
is  Mr.  Pirute  and  tell  him  that  you  give  him  that 
medicine,  with  the  compliments  of  the  Orlop  deck, 
to  clear  out  Charlie  Noble." 

The  bewildered  little  boy,  glad  to  be  of  service 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

to  any  sick  man  and  to  be  charged  with  so  easy 
a  duty,  dried  his  eyes,  picked  up  the  bottle,  scam- 
pered up  the  ladders,  found  the  officer  on  deck  and 
offered  him  the  bottle  with  the  remark : 

"Mr.  Finite,  here's  some  medicine  to  clear  out 
poor  Charlie  Noble." 

The  midshipman  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck 
burst  into  a  sudden  explosion  of  laughter,  which  he 
instantly  stifled  as  well  as  he  could.  The  man  at  the 
wheel  grinned  broadly,  and  even  the  captain,  who 
happened  to  be  aft  on  the  weather  side  of  the  ship, 
heard  the  message  and  was  forced  to  turn  away  to 
conceal  his  amusement.  The  officer  of  the  watch 
turned  purple  with  indignation. 

"  You  young  dog,  you ! "  he  gasped  out  at  last, 
shaking  his  trumpet  at  the  little  midshipman,  "  my 
name's  not  Pirute.  It's  Knight,  sir !  And  as  for 
your  medicine,"  he  cried,  snatching  the  bottle  and 
throwing  it  overboard,  "  that  for  it !  " 

44  But,  sir,  I  thought " 

44  Great  heavens !  Since  when  have  midshipmen 
begun  to  think  ?  " 

44  That  Charlie  Noble " 

44  Charlie  Noble  is  the  galley  smokestack,  you 
idiot,  and  it  often  needs  clearing  out  too.  Who 
sent  you  up  here  to  me  with  that  fool  message  ?  " 

"  The— the— Orlop  deck,  sir." 

44  The  Orlop  deck  isn't  a  person,  it's  a  place. 
Who  was  it?  Some  of  those  crazy  reefers,  I'll  be 
bound,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

112 


FUN   IN   THE   STEERAGE 

It  flashed  into  Ned's  mind  that  he  had  been  the 
victim  of  a  practical  joke,  and  it  also  occurred  to 
him  that  if  he  betrayed  the  persons  who  had  sent 
him  on  this  fool's  errand,  it  would  go  hard  with  all 
of  them.  So  he  shut  his  lips  and  said  nothing. 

"  Who  was  it  ?  "  insisted  the  wrathful  officer. 

No  answer. 

"  You  won't  tell,  eh  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Go  up  to  the  to'-gallant  yard,  sir ! "  snorted 
Mr.  Knight  at  last,  baffled  by  the  persistence  with 
which  the  boy  refused  to  be  tale-bearer,  "  and  stay 
there  until  I  call  you  down." 

Ned  had  never  been  aloft  on  a  man-of-war,  but 
he  was  too  proud  to  hesitate.  He  turned  instantly, 
although  he  had  only  a  vague  idea  where  the  top- 
gallant yard  was,  but,  supposing  that  it  must  be 
somewhere  on  that  dizzy  mast,  he  sprang  into  the 
rigging,  climbed  painfully  up  the  shrouds,  struggled 
through  the  lubber's  hole,  in  spite  of  a  sharp  in- 
junction from  the  deck  to  go  over  the  futtocks, 
which  in  his  ignorance  he  did  not  comprehend,  and 
finally  reached  the  yard  which  he  conceived  to  be 
his  destination.  He  sat  down  upon  it,  clasped  his 
hands  around  mast  and  halyards,  shut  his  eyes  and 
hung  weakly  there. 

The  ship  was  beginning  to  pitch  and  toss  a  little 
now,  the  breeze  freshened,  and  they  were  approach- 
ing the  bay.  The  boy,  unused  to  such  great  heights, 
was  very  dizzy.  He  would  have  given  worlds  to 

113 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

be  on  deck  again,  but  was  too  proud  to  cry  out. 
Besides  there  was  some  solace  in  the  thought  that 
he  was  suffering  for  those  who  had  placed  him  in 
this  invidious  position. 

Mr.  Knight's  anger  evaporated  very  quickly. 
At  the  captain's  suggestion  he  presently  called  the 
chief  boatswain's  mate,  and  bade  him  send  a  man 
aloft,  to  bring  the  new  midshipman  down  on  deck. 

41  If  ye  please,  sir,"  said  the  petty  officer,  a 
weather-beaten,  bronzed  old  man  of  nearly  sixty 
years,  "  I  think  I  used  to  know  that  youngster.  I'll 
go  aloft  an'  git  him  myself." 

"  Very  well,  go  ahead." 

Far  above  the  deck  on  the  dizzy  height  of  the 
main  top-gallant  yard,  the  poor  little  fellow  clung 
desperately  to  his  support.  Presently  he  became 
aware  of  some  one  approaching  from  below.  He 
kept  his  eyes  shut  wondering  if  it  was  to  be  more 
torment.  Suddenly  a  huge  hand  was  laid  on  his 
shoulder.  A  man  swung  himself  across  the  yard 
and  caught  the  boy  by  the  arm. 

"  Master  Ned,"  he  said,  eagerly,  "  look  at  me. 
Don't  ye  know  me  ?  " 

"  Why,  it's  old  Jack  Lang ! "  said  Ned,  opening 
his  eyes  and  flinging  himself  into  the  arms  of  the 
man,  so  recklessly  in  fact,  that  they  both  nearly  fell 
from  the  yard. 

"  Steady,  now,  steady  ! "  said  Jack,  holding  the 
boy  tightly,  "  I  recognized  ye  the  minute  ye 
stepped  on  deck,  but  this  is  the  fust  chance  I  got 

114 


FUN   IN   THE   STEERAGE 

to  speak  to  ye.  Praise  be  to  God,  we're  shipmates 
onct  more  under  the  old  flag  ! " 

"Oh,  Jack,"  cried  Ned,  between  laughing  and 
sobbing,.  "  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you  !  Now  I've  got 
two  friends  on  this  ship,  you  and  the  captain." 

"  Then  ye've  the  most  important  men  on  the  ship 
to  look  out  fer  yer,"  said  the  old  sailor,  smiling. 
"  I  runs  things  for'ard  an'  he  runs  things  aft,  an' 
betwixt  us  two  we'll  take  keer  on  ye.  Now  the 
lef tenant  sent  me  up  to  fetch  ye  down." 

"  But  I  can  get  down  myself,  now  that  you  are 
here,  Jack,"  said  Ned,  his  courage  returning  to  him 
at  the  sight  of  the  old  sailor,  and  the  two  friends 
easily  and  quickly  gained  the  deck  in  safety. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

NED    BOSTON    LEARNS   THE   ROPES 

THERE  was  one  trial  among  the  many  that  made 
the  life  of  a  midshipman  miserable  that  Ned  Bos- 
ton was  spared.  He  was  not  seasick.  He  had 
knocked  around  in  small  boats,  in  all  sorts  of 
weather,  with  the  old  commodore,  so  that  he  had 
become  immune  to  that  dreadful  malady.  He  had 
been  put  on  watch  the  moment  he  struck  the  deck, 
and  it  was  not  until  five  bells,  or  half  after  six 
o'clock,  that  he  was  relieved  to  go  down  and  get 
his  supper.  As  the  ship  was  but  that  day  from 
port,  instead  of  the  usual  ship's  biscuit  or  hard- 
tack, they  had  soft-tack  (bread)  and  butter,  tea 
with  milk,  sweetened  with  brown  sugar,  and  the 
everlasting  salt  pork.  That,  with  the  addition  of 
bean  soup,  varied  with  soaked  hardtack,  salt  beef, 
coffee,  and  potatoes,  with  once  in  a  while  a  heavy, 
soggy  pudding  filled  with  raisins,  called  "  plum 
duff,"  constituted  the  usual  bill  of  fare.  It  was 
plain  enough  food  for  one  who  had  been  brought 
up  in  comfort  and  plenty,  but  the  midshipmen 
usually  attacked  their  rations  with  a  furious  energy 
begot  by  salt-air  appetites,  stimulated  by  hard  work. 

When  the  first  night  came  Boston  had  another 

116 


NED   BOSTON   LEARNS   THE   ROPES 

surprise.  His  hammock  boy,  one  of  the  seamen, 
who,  for  a  small  extra  compensation,  lashed  and  pre- 
pared his  hammock,  turned  out  to  be  his  old  friend, 
Billy  Bowline,  now  graduated  into  a  smart  "A.  B.," 
who  had  been  attracted  to  the  ship  by  old  Jack 
Lang's  representations,  when  he  had  been  on  re- 
cruiting services.  The  young  sailor  taught  the  boy 
not  only  how  to  swing  and  lash  his  hammock,  but 
how  to  get  in  it,  without  immediately  falling  out  of 
it,  not  an  easy  thing  by  any  means,  so  that  when  he 
came  below  to  turn  in,  after  a  whiff  of  fresh  air  on 
deck,  the  rest  of  the  steerage  were  very  much  dis- 
appointed to  see  him  do  so  well. 

That  night  he  had  the  mid  watch  out  It  was 
awfully  hard  for  a  little  boy,  who  had  always  gone 
to  bed  at  sundown,  and  slept  like  a  top  until  sun 
up  the  next  day,  to  be  routed  out  of  a  comfortable 
hammock — and  Ned  found  his  to  be  the  most  de- 
lightful bed  he  had  ever  slept  on — and  forced  to  go 
up  on  deck  and  keep  awake  for  four  solid  hours. 
Indeed  after  the  first  excitement  of  standing  watch 
had  passed  away,  that  first  night,  the  youngster 
fairly  fell  asleep  leaning  his  head  upon  his  arms  and 
resting  the  latter  on  the  slide  of  one  of  the  32- 
pounder  carronades  of  the  battery.  Mr;  Rodgers 
had  the  watch  with  him,  and  instead  of  reporting 
him  the  kind-hearted  but  gruff  lieutenant  took  off 
his  own  pea-jacket,  laid  it  carefully  over  the  little 
boy's  shoulders  and  let  him  sleep.  It  was  a  kind- 
ness the  meaning  of  which  Ned  realized  after  a 

117 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

while,  and  one  he  never  forgot.  The  pitching  of 
the  ship  as  she  progressed  down  the  bay  and  got 
into  rougher  water  caused  him  to  slip  from  the  gun 
and  woke  him  up  at  last,  and  very  much  ashamed 
he  was  for  having  given  way  to  this  weakness. 

He  was  a  glad  little  fellow  indeed  when  eight 
bells  struck  forward  and  he  heard  the  boatswain's 
mate  hoarsely  calling, 

"  All  the  starboard  watch  !  Relieve  the  wheel 
and  chain !  Tumble  up  here,  all  you  star-bow- 
lines ! " 

When  he  was  relieved  he  ran  down  to  the  steer- 
age and  tore  off  his  clothes,  eager  to  enjoy  the  three 
hours  of  sleep,  yet  remaining  to  him.  As  he  at- 
tempted to  swing  himself  into  his  hammock,  how- 
ever, his  arm  struck  something  large  and  hard,  and 
the  pull  of  his  elbow  capsized  a  division  tub  half 
full  of  water,  which  his  kindly  associates  had  se- 
cured in  the  hammock  as  a  little  surprise  for  him ! 
The  cold  water  flooded  him  from  head  to  foot,  and 
as  his  hammock  also  was  drenched  he  spent  the 
rest  of  the  night  wrapped  up  in  his  own  pea-jacket 
and  those  his  messmates  of  the  uproarious  steerage 
gave  him  when  they  saw  his  plight,  stretched  out 
on  a  hard,  narrow  locker,  being  rolled  to  the  deck 
several  times  by  the  rough  motion  of  the  ship. 

When  morning  broke,  after  the  hardest  and  most 
uncomfortable  night  he  had  ever  spent,  after  wash- 
ing his  face  in  salt  water,  which  he  found  very  un- 
comfortable, he  made  his  way  to  the  deck  to  find 

118 


NED  BOSTON  LEARNS  THE  ROPES 

that  the  Wasp  was  well  at  sea,  stretching  away  to 
the  southeastward,  with  bright  lookouts  at  every 
masthead,  in  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  cruisers  or 
merchant  ships  of  the  enemy. 

For  the  next  few  days  he  applied  himself  assidu- 
ously and  literally  to  learning  the  ropes.  There 
seemed  to  him  to  be  countless  numbers  at  the  pin 
rails  below  the  shrouds,  on  either  side  of  each  mast, 
and  at  the  fife  rails  around  the  masts.  He  despaired 
of  ever  mastering  their  uses  or  indeed  even  their 
names,  until,  at  Lieutenant  Biddle's  suggestion,  he 
wrote  the  name  of  each  one,  in  his  sprawling  school- 
boy hand,  on  the  rail  where  it  was  belayed,  and 
every  spare  minute  he  lingered  over  this  novel  text- 
book, conning  it  again  and  again,  until,  being  a 
bright  lad,  he  finally  mastered  it,  and  could  put  his 
hand  on  any  rope,  brace,  sheet,  halyard,  or  line  on 
the  ship,  and  tell  its  use  as  well. 

What  with  this  effort  and  constant  drills  at  quar- 
ters, and  target  practice,  and  the  learning  of  the 
rough  and  ready  but  necessary  knot-and-splice 
seamanship  from  Jack  Lang  and  Billy  Bowline, 
and  standing  his  watch  regularly,  he  hardly  had 
time  to  call  his  soul  his  own.  It  was  a  good  thing 
for  him,  too,  for  he  would  have  been  dreadfully 
homesick  if  every  moment  had  not  been  filled  with 
new  and  strange  duties. 

The  oldsters  in  the  steerage  still  amused  them- 
selves more  or  less  at  his  expense,  but  he  strove  to 
bear  their  fun  good-naturedly,  and  was  so  cheerful 

119 


IN   THE  WASP'S  NEST 

and  jolly  when  he  was  the  victim  of  their  rough 
practical  jokes  that  he  soon  became  a  general  fa- 
vorite. In  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  always  prop- 
erly and  securely  lashed,  sometimes  his  hammock 
Would  come  down  with  a  run  and  send  him  sprawl- 
ing out  on  the  deck. 

Once,  when  he  jumped  to  the  call  of  his  watch, 
he  found  that  his  trouser  legs  were  tied  into  hard 
knots.  He  had  been  told  that  there  was  no  crime 
greater  than  being  late  in  relieving  a  watch,  so  that, 
in  desperation,  he  went  on  deck,  clad  only  in  his 
nether  garments,  carrying  his  knotted  trousers  in 
his  hand,  reporting  to  Mr.  Knight  in  that  guise. 
He  got  well  rated  for  it  too,  and  nearly  froze,  while 
he  stood  for  half  an  hour  getting  the  knots  out, 
but  he  took  all  these  things  so  good-naturedly, 
when  there  was  nothing  back  of  them  except  harm- 
less if  somewhat  rude  and  coarse  horse  play,  and  he 
showed  himself  to  be  of  such  a  sunny  temper,  a 
singular  combination  of  innocence  and  ability,  and 
he  took  up  seamanship  so  quickly,  that  he  became 
the  pet  of  the  steerage  and  indeed  of  his  ship's  com- 
pany. 

His  station  at  general  quarters  was  with  the  two 
long  guns  on  the  forecastle,  under  the  immediate 
command  of  Mr.  Rodgers,  with  Jack  Lang  as  the 
chief  petty  officer.  The  crew  were  exercised  every 
day  at  target  practice,  and  under  the  careful  teach- 
ing and  training  they  received  they  developed  an 
astonishing  ability  to  hit  things,  with  their  clumsy 

130 


NED   BOSTON    LEARNS  THE   ROPES 

old-fashioned  cannon,  with  their  very  inadequate 
sights  and  elevating  machinery.  Many  of  the  men, 
like  Jack  Lang,  were  veterans  of  three  wars,  and 
some  of  them,  including  the  chief  boatswain's  mate, 
had  been  pressed  on  English  ships.  Lang  himself  was 
virulently  bitter  against  the  English  navy,  and  it 
was  more  than  suspected  that  he  had  felt  the  lashes 
of  the  cat.  Although  he  never  mentioned  or  re- 
ferred to  having  received  such  punishment,  yet  the 
way  his  face  darkened  when  the  subject  was 
brought  up  or  touched  upon,  the  fierce,  grim  look 
of  anger  that  supplemented  his  generally  peaceful 
expression,  were  suggestive  of  his  feelings. 

The  first  cruise  of  the  Wasp  was  uneventful. 
They  picked  up  a  few  small  prizes  of  little  value, 
mostly  schooners  or  small  traders,  they  chased  a 
privateer,  were  chased  themselves  by  a  stray  Eng- 
lish frigate,  but  fell  in  with  no  valuable  prize  or 
cruiser  or  man-o'-war  of  a  size  suitable  to  engage. 

They  met  the  usual  summer  weather,  too,  varied 
now  and  then  by  a  sudden  squall  or  a  half  gale  of 
wind,  which  blew  for  a  day,  kicked  up  a  nasty  sea, 
and  gave  the  youngsters  something  to  think  about. 
They  all  got  their  sea  legs,  however,  and  the  days 
were  improved  by  constant  drilling  and  training. 
Mr.  Rapp,  a  passed  midshipman,  looked  after  Bos- 
ton's studies,  by  the  captain's  orders,  and,  as  his 
familiarity  with  the  ship  gave  him  a  little  time  to 
spare,  the  young  reefer  was  forced  to  apply  himself 
to  arithmetic  and  the  first  principles  of  the  mysteri- 

121 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

ous  and  beautiful  art  of  navigation.  His  pride 
when  he  first  "took  the  sun"  with  Mr.  Knight's 
sextant  was  great. 

It  was  late  in  September  when  the  Wasp  re- 
turned to  the  Delaware  to  replenish  her  water  and 
supplies,  whence  she  sailed  again  on  the  thirteenth  of 
October,  with  instructions  to  endeavor  to  intercept 
the  West  India  ships,  en  route  for  England.  Jones 
had  the  Wasp  and  her  crew  now  in  the  very  acme 
of  preparation  and  perfection.  They  all  earnestly 
longed  to  meet  something  near  their  size  flying  the 
British  flag,  upon  which  they  could  prove  their 
mettle.  The  famous  victory  of  the  Constitution 
over  the  Guerrikre  had  made  them  all  anxious  to 
show  what  they  could  do  with  the  Wasp,  if  they 
met  an  enemy.  Their  desires  were  soon  to  be 
gratified. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    WASP    LOSES    TWO   OF    HER    MEN 

THEY  speedily  made  the  run  down  the  bay  from 
Philadelphia,  passed  the  Capes,  and  bore  away  to  the 
southeastward.  After  they  had  been  out  for  a  few 
days  they  ran  into  a  fierce  gale,  which  blew  up  early 
in  the  afternoon,  increasing  in  violence  as  the  day 
wore  on,  until  at  nightfall  they  were  fairly  in  the 
heart  of  a  mad  tempest.  The  canvas  had  been 
shortened  by  the  orders  of  the  watchful  captain  at 
the  first  indications  of  the  serious  nature  of  the 
storm,  and,  before  its  fury  broke  upon  them,  every- 
thing had  been  made  snug  alow  and  aloft,  the  light 
yards  sent  down,  rolling  tackles  got  up,  preventers 
rigged,  boat  gripes  looked  to,  life-lines  passed,  and 
so  on. 

Now,  as  midshipman  on  the  forecastle,  it  was 
Ned's  duty,  in  shortening  sail,  to  supervise  the  work 
of  the  men  on  the  head-booms.  The  flying  jib,  of 
course,  had  come  in  with  the  royals  and  top-gallant 
sails  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  when  the  mizzen 
topsail  had  been  furled,  and  close  reefs  taken  in 
the  fore  and  main  topsails,  and  the  courses  had  been 
taken  in,  the  jib  had  been  hauled  down  and  snugged 

close  to  the  boom,  and  the  furling-line,  or  sea-gasket, 

123 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

passed  to  secure  the  sail ;  after  which  it  was  replaced 
by  the  fore  staysail,  and  under  this  reduced  canvas 
the  little  ship  staggered  along  close  to  the  wind. 
She  proved  herself  a  magnificent  sea-boat,  riding  the 
waves  like  a  duck,  and,  although  the  spray  came 
aboard  in  bucketfuls,  the  ship  took  in  little  water. 
No  one,  of  course,  was  allowed  to  go  below,  and 
both  watches  remained  on  deck,  the  captain  himself 
taking  charge,  with  the  wind  increasing  in  violence 
every  moment. 

About  ten  o'clock  at  night,  from  some  unexplained 
reason,  the  lashings  of  the  jib  worked  loose,  and  the 
fierce  wind  ripped  a  corner  of  the  sail  out  in  a  great 
baggy  mass  from  the  centipede.  The  storm  was  at 
its  height  at  the  moment,  and  the  Wasp  was  rolling 
and  pitching  terribly  in  the  tremendous  seas — "fit 
to  jerk  the  masts  an'  booms  out  of  her,"  as  Lang 
said. 

The  officer  on  the  forecastle  promptly  reported  the 
catastrophe  to  the  captain,  who,  from  the  fact  that 
the  ship  instantly  began  to  fall  off  and  bring  the 
wind  abeam,  had  already  apprehended  that  some- 
thing was  wrong.  The  helm  was  put  hard  down  to 
force  her  nose  up  to  the  wind  once  more,  but  with- 
out avail  in  the  face  of  the  pull  on  the  opening  jib. 
Meanwhile,  as  the  wind  caught  more  and  more  of 
the  sail,  the  boom  bent  sharply  under  the  strain  and 
began  to  buckle  from  the  awful  pressure  upon  it ; 
and  the  pull  aloft  by  the  jib  and  fore  top-gallant 
stays  rendered  it  possible  that  the  top-gallant  mast 

124 


THE  WASP   LOSES   TWO    OF    HER    MEN 

might  also  go  unless  the  strain  were  relieved  at  once. 
Something  had  to  be  done,  and  done  quickly. 

Whether  it  was  due  to  carelessness  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  forecastle  men  or  not,  no  one  could 
say,  but  two  of  the  seamen,  who  had  been  charged 
with  the  duty  of  furling  the  jib,  evidently  felt  that 
the  situation  was,  in  a  certain  sense,  a  reflection 
upon  them,  so  without  orders  they  ran  out  on  the 
bowsprit,  dropped  to  the  foot  rope  of  the  jib-boom, 
drew  their  sheath-knives,  and  tried  to  cut  loose  the 
huge  mass  of  canvas.  To  refurl  it  in  that  storm  was 
an  impossibility. 

With  a  noble  idea  of  his  own  duty  Ned  would 
have  followed  them  to  the  shaking  spar  had  not  old 
Jack  Lang  caught  him  by  the  shoulders  and  forcibly 
restrained  him.  The  midshipman  was  only  a  baby 
in  the  arms  of  the  old  sailor,  who  lifted  him  up  un- 
ceremoniously and  held  him  tight  in  spite  of  his 
orders  and  his  cries,  while  he  fought  and  kicked  and 
screamed  with  all  his  might. 

"  Ye  can't  go  out  there,  Master  Ned,  an'  nobody'd 
ought  to  done  it.  That  boom'll  carry  away  in  a 
minute.  See  how  she  buckles  an'  bends,  an'  them 
men'll  go  to  Davy  Jones's  locker  sure." 

The  officer  of  the  forecastle,  Mr.  Rodgers,  had 
been  as  quick  to  see  the  danger  as  the  sailor.  Hol- 
lowing his  hand  he  shouted,  in  a  voice  of  stentorian 
power,  to  the  two  men  painfully  working  away 
on  the  foot  ropes,  to  come  in.  The  spray  was 
dashing  over  them  furiously.  Either  the  sail  would 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

be  blown  out  of  the  gasket  and  ripped  from  its  bolt 
ropes,  or  the  stays  and  halyards  would  part,  or  the 
boom  carry  away  in  a  moment.  There  was  no 
rope  or  canvas  which  could  stand  such  tremendous 
pressure. 

Yet  the  situation  of  the  ship  was  critical  indeed. 
In  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  had  attempted  to  brace 
in  the  foretopsail  and  had  the  helm  jammed  hard 
down,  with  four  seamen  sweating  on  the  wheel,  she 
was  slowly  falling  off  toward  the  trough  of  the  sea. 
If  that  terrific  gale  took  her  abeam  and  two  or  three 
waves  came  aboard  it  would  be  the  end  of  her.  She 
would  go  orer  on  her  beam  ends,  and  God  help 
them  all  then.  All  this  had  happened  in  a  few  sec- 
onds when  the  expected  catastrophe  occurred. 

With  a  crash  that  was  heard  above  the  screaming 
of  the  tempest,  the  jib-boom  parted  at  the  iron  as 
clean  as  if  it  had  been  chopped  off.  The  halyards, 
stays,  guys,  and  martingales  gave  way  at  once,  and 
the  whole  mass,  carrying  with  it  the  two  brave  fellows 
on  the  boom,  was  whirled  to  leeward  in  a  flash. 
Ned  caught  a  glimpse  of  terror-stricken  white  faces 
driving  past  the  ship  in  the  darkness.  He  thought 
he  heard  a  faint  scream,  and  it  was  all  over.  The 
blackness  closed  around  them,  and  no  human  eye 
ever  looked  on  them  again. 

The  pressure  forward  relieved  by  this  accident, 
the  ship  came  to  the  wind  once  more  and  plunged 
steadily  on.  There  was  nothing  on  earth  or  sea  that 

any  one  could  do  for  the  men  who  had  been  carried 

126 


THE  WASP    LOSES    TWO    OF    HER    MEN 

away.  Indeed,  entangled  in  the  wreckage,  they  must 
have  been  battered  to  pieces  before  they  struck  the 
water.  At  any  rate  they  were  gone,  and  gone  for- 
ever. 

The  boy  stood  aghast  within  the  shelter  of  the 
old  man's  arms.  His  little  heart  almost  stopped  beat- 
ing. These  were  the  first  lives  he  had  seen  lost  at 
sea,  the  first  of  many  that  he  was  to  see  given  up  in 
battle  or  in  tempest.  And  what  made  it  harder  to 
bear  was  the  consciousness  that  would  come  to  him 
that  in  some  way  he  was  to  blame  for  the  accident 


CHAPTER  XV 

BOSTON    IS   SEVERELY    REPRIMANDED 

THE  hurricane  blew  with  furious  violence  through- 
out the  night.  The  Wasp,  however,  proved  herself 
a  very  weatherly  ship,  and,  in  spite  of  the  carrying 
away  of  the  head-booms  beyond  the  bowsprit,  she 
buoyantly  rode  out  the  storm.  Morning  broke  dull 
and  gray  with  a  tremendous  wind  still,  although  it 
was  sensibly  abating.  The  sea,  however,  ran  higher 
than  ever,  as  is  often  the  case.  There  was  not  a  sail 
to  be  seen,  nor,  of  course,  any  signs  of  the  lost  spars 
or  masts. 

The  violence  of  the  storm  rendered  it  impossible, 
and  indeed  it  was  not  necessary,  for  the  Wasp's 
men  to  rig  a  jury  jib-boom  or  take  any  steps  look- 
ing to  the  repair  of  the  damage  other  than  to 
reeve  a  preventer  foretop-gallant  stay  to  take  the 
place  of  the  one  that  had  been  carried  away. 

In  order  to  be  prepared  for  making  further  sail 
should  it  be  desirable,  and  possibly  because  the 
storm  had  passed  its  maximum,  Captain  Jones  sent 
up  his  light  yards  again  as  soon  as  it  was  morning. 

After  everything  had  been  made  secure  he  sent 
orders  to  Ned  Boston  to  report  to  him.  When  the 

miserable  little  midshipman  entered   the  captain's 

128 


BOSTON   IS  SEVERELY   REPRIMANDED 

cabin  he  found  Captain  Jones  seated  at  his  table, 
with  Mr.  Biddle  on  one  side  and  Mr.  Rodgers  on 
the  other. 

"  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  captain,  severely,  "  I  wish 
to  know  what  was  the  cause  of  the  deplorable  acci- 
dent last  night  whereby  we  lost  two  brave  seamen 
and  carried  away  a  jib-boom  and  a  flying  jib-boom, 
sir,  to  say  nothing  of  the  jib  itself." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  began  the  boy,  nervously  shifting  from 
one  foot  to  the  other  in  his  agitation.  "  The  furling 
line  must  have  been  badly  secured,  sir,  or  the  sail 
wasn't  closely  snugged  down  to  the  boom  as  it 
should  have  been  before  we  passed  the  sea-gasket, 
for  the  wind  got  under  the  clew  and  lifted  it,  bagged 
it  out,  and — and  that's  all  I  know,  sir." 

"  Umph  !  "  said  Captain  Jones,  with  great  stern- 
ness, "you  are  the  midshipman  on  the  head-booms, 
are  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  you  are,  of  course,  responsible  for  every- 
thing done  there  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Who  is  stationed  on  the  jib-boom  at  furling 
sail  ? " 

"  Thompson  and  Sykes  were,  sir." 

"  They  are  the  men  who  went  overboard,  are  they 
not?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  captain,  with  an  appall- 
ing severity,  "this  is  a  most  serious  matter.  A  furl- 

129 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

ing-line  or  sea-gasket  properly  secured  should  not 
work  loose,  sir.  The  carelessness  which  produced 
the  accident  last  night  might  have  had  consequences 
even  more  deplorable  than  those  which  have  re- 
sulted. Under  the  pressure  of  that  sail,  as  the  wind 
caught  it,  the  ship  fell  off  against  the  helm.  With 
little  canvas  spread  aft,  there  was  nothing  to  bring 
her  to.  We  were  in  imminent  danger,  sir,  of  getting 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea  with  that  tempest  right  on 
our  beam.  We  might  have  gone  over  if  the  carry- 
ing away  of  the  boom  had  not  relieved  the  pressure. 
If  we  had  got  on  our  beam  ends  it  would  have  been 
necessary  to  cut  away  the  masts  in  order  to  right 
the  ship,  if  even  that  would  have  done  it.  A  most 
dangerous  operation  indeed,  sir,  and  one  that  would 
probably  have  been  attended  by  the  loss  of  many 
men  and  perhaps  the  ship." 

Poor  little  Ned  turned  as  white  as  death  as  this 
tremendous  indictment  was  recited  against  him. 
Seeing  which  the  captain  continued  more  kindly  : 

"  You  are  a  very  young  officer,  sir,  and  I  am  glad 
that  this  happening  did  not  come  to  you  later  in  life. 
Let  it  be  an  everlasting  lesson  to  you.  Remember 
to  see  personally  that  everything  is  thoroughly  done 
of  which  you  have  charge.  You  are  charged  with 
just  such  responsibilities  and  are  appointed  in  the 
naval  service  for  just  such  purposes.  Above  all,  sir,  be 
particular  that  anything  that  is  lashed  is  made  so  se- 
cure that  it  cannot  possibly  work  loose  in  a  sea  way, 
or  in  a  storm.  I  believe  that  you  did  the  best  you 

130 


BOSTON   IS   SEVERELY   REPRIMANDED 

could,  and  as  yet  you  have  had  but  little  experience, 
so  I  shall  not  report  you  in  this  instance,  and  as  the 
men  whose  fault  it  was  primarily  have  paid  with 
their  lives  in  endeavoring  to  rectify  it,  there  is  noth- 
ing more  to  be  said,  except  this,  sir.  Whenever 
anything  of  that  sort  has  to  be  done  in  a  moment  of 
danger  you  must  personally  endeavor  to  rectify  it, 
and  not  allow  the  men  to  go  alone.  An  American 
officer,  sir,  must  always  lead  ! " 

The  boy's  heart  almost  stopped  its  beating ;  he 
felt  as  if  he  were  fainting.  He  could  not  speak  or 
make  a  sound ;  his  tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of  his 
mouth.  He  had,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  inspected  the 
lashing  before  he  came  on  deck,  when  the  sail  was 
furled,  and  to  his  unskilled  eye  it  seemed  secure.  As 
the  captain  doubtless  realized,  it  was  an  error  of  ig- 
norance and  inexperience  rather  than  of  carelessness, 
yet  he  did  well  to  emphasize  the  lesson.  There  was 
one  thing,  however,  which  he  apparently  did  not 
know,  and  that  was  that  Boston  had  endeavored  to 
go  out  on  the  boom  with  the  men,  and  had  only 
been  prevented  by  the  superior  strength  and  deter- 
mination of  the  chief  boatswain's  mate.  He  would 
have  urged  this  in  his  own  defence,  but  he  was  so 
filled  with  emotion  that  he  was  incapable  of  speech, 
he  could  not  say  a  word  to  save  his  life. 

"  Do  not  take  it  so  hard,  Mr.  Boston,"  continued 
the  captain,  greatly  moderating  his  tone  as  he  no- 
ticed the  boy's  anguish.  "  I  dare  say  you  did  the 
best  you  could.  I'm  only  pointing  out  to  you  that 

131 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

the  government  does  not  want  you  to  do  your  best 
or  your  worst.  It  wants  you  to  do  the  thing  with 
which  you  are  charged  to  do,  and  do  it  right,  and  it 
wants  you  to  lead  your  men,  not  send  them.  That 
is  the  worst  feature  of  the  affair,  that  you  were  not 
there  with  them.  You  would  have  lost  your  life, 
sir,  but  you  would  have  done  your  duty." 

"  If  you  will  permit  me,  sir,"  interrupted  Mr. 
Rodgers,  "  I  think  that  Mr.  Boston  did  make  an 
effort  to  go  out  on  the  boom  with  the  men.  I 
have  an  indistinct  recollection  that  some  one  pre- 
vented him." 

"  Is  that  so,  sir  ?  "  said  the  captain,  turning  to  the 
small  culprit. 

The  poor  little  midshipman  could  only  nod  his 
head. 

"Who  was  it?" 

No  answer. 

"  Do  you  know  who  it  was,  Mr.  Rodgers  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  may  have  been  the  chief  bo's'n's 
mate,  sir." 

"  Ah  !  Orderly,  present  my  compliments  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck  and  request  him  to  send  Lang  to 
me  at  once." 

After  a  few  moments'  wait,  the  old  sailor  came 
rolling  into  the  cabin,  knuckled  his  forehead,  and 
folded  his  arms. 

"Bo's'n's  mate,"  asked  Captain  Jones,  "what  do 
you  know  about  the  accident  last  night  on  the  head 
booms  ?  " 

132 


BOSTON   IS   SEVERELY   REPRIMANDED 

"Well,  sir,  the  furlin'-line  wa'n't  passed  proper. 
The  wind  got  under  the  clew  of  it,  an'  the  lashin' 
give  way,  the  sail  bellied  out,  an'  then  the  boom 
begun  to  buckle  like  a  wilier  branch,  w'ich  it  wa'n't 
a  sound  stick,  yer  honor,  fer  I  examined  the  place 
this  mornin',  sir,  an'  part  of  it  was  rotten,  though 
you  couldn't  see  it  from  the  outside.  Thompson 
an'  Sykes,  them  as  was  charged  with  the  dooty  of 
furlin'  sail,  an'  w'ich  it  was  their  own  carelessness, 
sir,  that  done  it,  run  out  on  the  foot  ropes.  They 
had  their  sheath  knives  out  tryin'  to  cut  away  the 
canvas  w'en  the  boom  broke  short  off  at  the  iron 
an'  they  went  with  it." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  continued  the  captain  ;  "  but 
where  was  Mr.  Boston  then?" 

"He  done  his  best,  sir,  to  git  out  there  with 
them  two  men.  Indeed,  he'd  'a'  led  'em  hisself,  but 
he  was  prewented." 

"  Who  prevented  him  ?  " 

"  I  did,  sir." 

"How  did  you  do  it?" 

"Well,  sir,  I'm  sorry  to  be  disrespectful  to  an 
officer,  sir,  even  a  young  un,  but  I  jest  took  him  up 
in  my  arms,  like  he  was  a  babby.  Ye  see,  sir,  as 
you  knows  werry  well,  sir,  I'd  done  it  afore  many  a 
time,  w'en  he  was  a  little  fellow,  an'  it  seemed  like 
old  times  fer  me  to  hold  him  tight  an'  him  a  kickin' 
an'  screamin'  an'  ragin'  like  mad  to  git  out  there, 
an'  I  knowed  he  could  do  nuthin'  out  there  with 
them  men.  Why,  Lord  love  ye — beggin'  yer 

133 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

honor's  pardon — the  boy  ain't  big  enough  to  reach 
from  the  foot  rope  to  the  boom,  an'  I  jest  hung 
onto  him  till  the  boom  carried  away,  an'  then  there 
wa'n't  no  necessity." 

"  And  it  was  a  shame,  bo's'n's  mate,"  broke  out 
Ned,  furiously,  finding  his  voice  at  last.  "  I'm  dis- 
graced by  it.  I  wish  I  had  gone  out  there  and 
died  with  the  men.  It  was  my  fault.  I  thought  it 
was  passed  all  right.  It  looked  all  right  to  me,  but 
it  wasn't — and — it  was  my  fault." 

"Will  you  allow  me,  captain,"  said  Biddle,  the 
first  lieutenant. 

"  Speak,  sir,"  answered  the  captain. 

"  Mr.  Boston,  don't  take  it  so  hard,  though  your 
emotion  does  you  full  credit,  I  am  sure,"  continued 
the  first  lieutenant.  "  We  want  this  to  be  a  lesson 
to  you.  We  are  all  interested  in  your  career.  We 
don't  want  you  to  take  this  too  much  to  heart,  and 
yet  we  don't  want  you  to  think  of  it  lightly. 
Everything  that  goes  wrong  is  the  fault  of  the 
officer  in  charge,  and  the  responsibility  is  shared 
through  all  the  ranks  of  the  service.  Primarily  the 
carelessness  of  those  men,  for  which  they  paid  with 
their  lives,  was  their  fault,  but  it  was  also  your  fault 
and  in  some  measure  Mr.  Rodgers's  fault,  for  he 
had  charge  of  the  forecastle,  and  in  some  degree  my 
fault,  for  I  am  the  executive  officer  of  the  ship." 

"  Ay,"  broke  in  Captain  Jones,  "  and  in  some 
degree  my  fault,  for  I  am  captain.  Therefore  we 
are  all  responsible  with  you.  There,  there,  my  lad, 

134 


BOSTON    IS   SEVERELY   REPRIMANDED 

wipe  away  those  tears,  though  they  do  you  honor, 
and  I  am  glad  to  learn  from  the  chief  bo's'n's 
mate  that  you  made  so  gallant  an  effort  to  set 
things  right.  That  was  your  duty  and  I'm  glad  to 
learn  I  was  mistaken  about  charging  you  with  fail- 
ing there.  Lang,  you  did  perfectly  right  to  pre- 
vent Mr.  Boston  from  going  out  on  that  yard. 
There  was  nothing  that  he  could  have  done  under 
such  circumstances,  and  although  it  is  a  grave 
breach  of  discipline  to  interfere  with  an  officer," 
said  the  captain,  half  smiling  as  he  looked  from  the 
huge  weather-beaten  old  sailor  to  the  very  small 
midshipman,  who  bit  his  lips,  trying  to  check  his 
tears,  "  I  shall  pass  it  over  this  time,  and — er — in 
short,  my  steward  will  give  you  a  glass  of  grog." 

"Thankee,  sir,  thankee.  I  drinks  yer  health  an' 
I  hopes  Mr.  Boston'll  forgive  the  ol'  man  what 
knowed  him  w'en  he  was  a  babby." 

"  He  will,  I'm  sure.  That  will  do.  You  may  go 
now.  Mr.  Boston,  you  will  doubtless  have  an 
abundance  of  opportunities  to  reinstate  yourself  in 
my  good  graces  on  the  cruise,  and  I  shall  be  most 
happy  when  you  shall  avail  yourself  of  them." 

Poor  Boston  was  a  most  miserable  little  boy 
when  he  went  below  in  the  steerage,  and  refused  to 
be  comforted.  He  was  growing  more  manly  and 
did  not  actually  break  down  and  cry  there,  though 
he  felt  very  much  like  it.  The  oldsters  among  the 
midshipmen  were  inclined  to  agree  with  the  cap- 
tain. The  youngsters,  however,  thought  that  his 

135 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

censure  had  been  unduly  severe,  but  Boston  stur- 
dily defended  his  commanding  officer,  and  main- 
tained that  he  had  been  treated  with  generous  len- 
ity and  kindness,  rather  than  with  severity,  and  he 
determined,  if  Providence  gave  him  opportunity,  to 
show  the  captain  that  he  appreciated  his  forebear- 
ance,  by  some  desperate  act  of  heroism,  which 
would  re-establish  his  reputation.  Meantime,  he 
determined  to  have  nothing  further  to  do  with  old 
Jack  Lang,  a  resolution  which  grieved  and  worried 
that  adoring  old  sailor  greatly. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

NED    FIGHTS    HIS    FIRST   GREAT    BATTLE 

IT  was  a  dreary,  miserable  day  they  spent  on  the 
Wasp.  The  wind  still  swept  furiously  across  the 
tumbling  waters  under  the  sodden  sky,  and  the  ship, 
under  shortened  canvas,  plunged  and  pitched  and 
rolled  along.  Toward  evening,  however,  the  clouds 
broke,  and,  though  the  hard  gale  still  blew,  the 
moon  shone  fitfully  through  the  rifts  in  the  drifting 
clouds. 

About  eleven  o'clock  at  night  Boston,  who  was 
snugly  wrapped  up  in  a  warm  jacket  and  on  watch 
on  the  forecastle,  thought  he  discovered  a  light  to 
leeward.  Fearful  lest  he  'might  be  deceived,  he 
sprang  into  the  fore  shrouds  and  ran  up  to  the  top. 
By  this  time  he  had  learned  to  disdain  the  lubber's 
hole,  and  he  could  swing  himself  over  the  futtock 
shrouds  like  a  monkey.  Gaining  the  top,  he  scam- 
pered up  the  topsail  yard  and  stepped  boldly  out 
upon  it ;  the  topsail  still  being  double-reefed,  he 
held  tight  to  the  tye  and  peered  earnestly  out  in 
the  darkness  of  the  night  in  the  direction  where  he 
thought  he  had  detected  the  light. 

There  it  was,  sure  enough  !     It  rose  and  fell  with 

/37 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

the  pitching  of  the  ship  in  the  huge  waves.  Now 
he  saw  it,  now  it  disappeared,  but  it  always  came 
again.  The  moon  had  set,  and  the  night  was  too 
black,  and  the  light  too  far  away  for  him  to  distin- 
guish anything.  Yet  the  light  was  there.  It  gleamed 
like  a  red  star,  and  a  light  meant  a  ship.  There  was 
no  mistaking  it.  His  heart  beat  furiously  as  he 
stared  at  the  little  luminous  point  in  all  that  waste 
of  blackness.  In  his  agitation  he  came  down  from 
aloft  by  sliding  down  the  top-mast  backstay,  calling 
out  when  he  reached  the  starboard  gangway,  "  Light 
ho!  Light  ho!" 

The  news  was  instantly  reported  to  Captain  Jones, 
who  had  not  yet  retired  for  the  night,  but  who  was 
below  in  his  cabin  at  the  time,  and  in  a  moment  that 
officer,  wrapped  in  a  heavy  boat  cloak,  came  up  on 
the  forecastle,  followed  by  Lieutenant  Knight,  who 
had  the  watch.  The  captain  had  not  spoken  to  Bos- 
ton, or  noticed  him  in  any  way,  since  the  reproof  of 
the  morning  before,  and  at  first  he  did  not  deign  to 
address  him  even  now. 

"  Mr.  Knight,"  he  asked,  knitting  his  brows  and 
leaning  over  the  starboard  cathead  as  if  striving  to 
pierce  the  blackness  with  the  intensity  of  his  gaze, 
"  where  away  is  the  light,  sir  ?  " 

"  I've  not  seen  it  myself,  sir,"  answered  the  lieu- 
tenant. "  Mr.  Boston  reported  it." 

"  Whereabouts  did  you  see  it,  sir  ?  "  said  the  cap- 
tain, turning  to  the  midshipman. 

"  There,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  small  boy,  saluting  and 

138 


NED   FIGHTS   HIS   FIRST   BATTLE 

pointing  away  to  the  starboard.     "  You  can  see  it  at 
intervals,  sir.    Now,  sir  !  There  it  is  again  ! " 

"Ay,  'tis  so  ;  I  see  it  now,"  exclaimed  the  captain 
at  last,  after  following  with  his  eyes  in  a  concen- 
trated stare  the  direction  of  the  boy's  outstretched 
hand. 

"  And  I,"  cried  Lieutenant  Knight  at  the  same 
moment. 

"  I  could  see  it  much  plainer  from  the  topsail 
yard,  sir,"  volunteered  Ned. 

"  Have  you  been  aloft,  Mr.  Boston?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  saw  it  first  from  the  deck  here,  and 
then  I  went  aloft  to  make  sure  before  I  reported 
it." 

"  You  have  done  very  well,  sir,"  said  the  captain. 

The  boy's  heart  bounded  at  this  word  of  praise. 

"Ha!  There  is  another !"  suddenly  interrupted 
Knight.  "Two!" 

"  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  captain,  "  run  up  to  the 
topsail  yard  again  and  see  if  you  can  make  out  any 
more." 

Instantly  the  boy  sprang  into  the  rigging  with  the 
agility  of  a  cat  and  ran  as  he  had  never  done  before 
to  his  point  of  vantage  on  the  topsail  yard.  The 
motion  of  the  ship  was  violent  enough  below,  at  this 
high  elevation  it  seemed  tremendous ;  however,  he 
held  on  tight  and  took  another  long  look.  In  a 
moment  his  shrill  voice  sent  a  message  to  the  ex- 
pectant officers  on  the  forecastle  far  below,  in  spite 
of  the  noise  of  the  wind  and  sea. 

139 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  There's  more  of  them,  sir  !     I  can  see  four,  rw 
six  at  least !     It's  hard  to  tell  how  many,  they  ris 
and  fall  so  in  the  heaving  sea.     They're  strung  ou 
in  a  long  line  and  seem  to  be  heading  right  across 
our  path." 

"  All  right.  Lay  down  from  aloft,  Mr.  Boston," 
said  the  captain.  "  Mr.  Knight,  send  your  watch  to 
the  braces  and  bring  the  ship  by  the  wind.  We'll 
keep  to  windward  of  those  sail  until  morning." 

"  Shall  I  call  the  other  watch,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  I  hardly  think  that  is  necessary.  We'll 
simply  keep  them  in  sight  until  day  breaks.  They 
may  be,  and  probably  are,  a  convoy  of  merchant- 
men homeward  bound  from  Jamaica,  but  'tis  possi- 
ble that  they  might  be  a  squadron  of  the  enemy's 
heavy  ships.  In  any  event  we'll  find  out  in  the 
morning." 

Presently,  after  the  helm  had  been  shifted  and  the 
yards  braced  up,  the  little  Wasp  was  brought  to 
the  wind  on  the  port  tack,  and  staggered  along 
throughout  the  night  in  a  course  parallel  to  that 
taken  by  the  enemy.  The  day  broke  brilliantly 
clear,  but  with  the  fag  end  of  the  gale  still  blowing 
hard  and  the  waves  rolling  tremendously.  In  fact, 
if  anything,  the  sea  was  rougher  than  it  had  been  at 
the  height  of  the  storm.  It  often  happens  that  the 
waves  follow,  rather  than  accompany,  a  storm  of 
that  kind. 

The  Wasp  was  rolling  fearfully.  Both  watches, 
during  the  night,  had  known  of  the  lights  that  had 

140 


NED    FIGHTS   HIS   FIRST   BATTLE 

been  sighted,  consequently  as  soon  as  day  dawned 
the  decks  were  covered  with  officers  and  men.  A 
few  miles  to  leeward  they  made  out  a  dozen  ships, 
pitching  and  lumbering  along  in  the  heavy  sea.  It 
was  quite  evident  to  the  practiced  seamen  of  the 
Wasp  that  they  were  in  the  presence  of  a  convoy 
of  merchant  ships,  under  the  protection  of  a  man- 
of-war  brig,  a  little  larger  and  heavier  than  their 
own  ship.  The  convoy  was  very  much  scattered. 
It  had  probably  consisted  of  a  greater  number  of 
vessels,  which  had  become  separated  in  the  storm 
that  had  dealt  so  hardly  with  the  Wasp,  and  which 
had  not  been  able  to  reassemble. 

Several  of  the  merchant  ships  were  armed,  it  was 
developed,  as  the  Wasp  drew  nearer  to  them,  and  if 
they  joined  with  the  war  brig  in  attacking  the 
American  sloop-of-war  she  would  be  heavily  over 
matched,  yet  Jones  did  not  hesitate  a  moment. 
He  headed  at  once  for  the  war  brig,  which  signalled 
the  convoy  to  square  away  before  the  wind,  and 
escape  while  she  turned  and  beat  up  toward  the 
approaching  vessel,  interposing  between  her  convoy 
and  its  pursuer.  As  she  did  this  she  hoisted  a 
Spanish  flag.  It  was  a  ruse  that  deceived  no  one. 
The  Spanish  ship  did  not  float  which  would  lead 
down  upon  an  enemy  in  so  gallant  a  fashion. 
Besides  there  were  unmistakable  evidences  that  the 
ship  that  was  approaching  was  English. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  high  glee,  therefore,  that 
Captain  Jones  and  his  men  made  ready  for  the  con- 

141 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

test.  The  fact  that  she  was  larger  than  the  Wasp 
was  a  thing  he  congratulated  himself  upon,  as  the 
disparity  in  size  and  force  was  not  great — in  fact 
the  ships  were  as  nearly  equal  as  is  ever  likely  to  be 
the  case  in  battles  on  the  sea.  The  wind  was  still 
too  severe  for  the  light  sails  to  be  used,  and  Jones 
calmly  proceeded  to  strip  the  Wasp  for  the  fight, 
by  sending  down  the  royal  and  top-gallant  yards 
and  striking  the  top-gallant  masts. 

As  the  two  war  vessels  neared  each  other  the 
men  of  the  Wasp  noticed  that  the  English  brig 
was  without  her  main-yard,  which  was  lashed  on  the 
deck  forward  of  the  mainmast.  She  had  set  her 
foretopsail  close  reefed,  and  carried  a  boom  mainsail 
aft,  which  really  converted  her  into  a  brigantine,  a 
very  handy  rig,  and  one  which  enabled  her  to  display 
all  the  canvas  the  rough  weather  would  permit  her 
to  carry  at  the  time.  The  loss  of  the  main -yard 
would  have  been  a  serious  one  in  milder  weather, 
but  under  the  circumstances  it  counted  for  nothing, 
if  indeed  it  did  not  increase  the  brig's  handiness, 
by  changing  her  rig  to  one  perfectly  adapted  to 
the  heavy  weather  then  prevailing. 

Owing  to  the  small  spread  of  canvas  they  could 
show,  the  two  ships  approached  each  other  very  de- 
liberately and  both  had  abundant  time  to  make  ev- 
ery preparation  for  battle. 

Ned  Boston  had  often  been  called  to  quarters 
since  he  had  been  on  the  sloop-of-war,  but  never  had 

it  been  for  anything  more  serious  than  playing  at 

142 


NED   FIGHTS   HIS   FIRST   BATTLE 

war.  This  time  the  beating  call  summoned  him  in 
deadly  earnest.  It  seemed  to  his  untutored  ear  that 
there  was  an  unusually  ominous  note  in  the  rattling 
of  the  drum,  in  answer  to  which  the  men  sprang  to 
their  stations,  and  he  wondered  why  it  was  that  ev- 
erybody seemed  to  feel  so  cheerful  and  laughed  and 
joked  so  at  the  prospect  of  the  imminent  battle. 
His  own  heart  was  thumping  rarely  at  the  time.  He 
did  not  feel  like  a  hero  at  all.  On  the  contrary,  he 
felt  very  serious  and  sober  indeed  as  he  ran  hastily 
up  on  the  forecastle,  where  his  battle  station  was,  and 
superintended  the  loading  of  the  starboard  gun 
mounted  there. 

He  was  afraid  that  he  was  a  trifle  frightened,  but 
he  determined  to  die  rather  than  betray  any  evidence 
of  fear.  Still  his  mind  would  go  back  to  the  quiet, 
peaceful  Massachusetts  home,  the  old  house  among 
the  trees,  his  Aunt  Little  in  her  white  cap,  the  cows, 
and  the  chickens ;  his  dog,  the  pony  he  rode — all 
these  things  seemed  so  attractive  to  him.  He  won- 
dered why  he  had  ever  left  them.  Then  he  thought 
of  that  brave  old  fighter,  Commodore  Little.  He 
would  be  worthy  of  his  training,  the  boy  determined 
as  he  pressed  his  lips  together  and  busied  himself  in 
his  duties.  He  would  be  brave.  He  had  a  name  to 
make,  a  training  to  honor.  No  one  should  call  him 
a  coward.  But  it  was  fortunate  that  he  had  so  much 
to  do  that  he  had  not  time  to  dwell  on  these  things. 
He  did  wonder  if  he  would  be  killed,  and  while  he 
worked  away  over  his  guns  he  prayed  harder  than 

143 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

he  had  ever  done  in  his  life  for  God  to  take  care  of 
him.  Then  he  felt  better. 

Captain  Jones  held  the  weather-gage,  which,  of 
course,  he  intended  to  keep,  and  the  crew  were 
sent  to  the  starboard  battery,  with  instructions  to 
double-shot  the  guns  and  then  keep  them  fast  for  a 
close-range  broadside.  The  result  of  the  first  frigate 
action  was  well  known  to  the  men  of  the  ship,  and 
when  Captain  Jones  remarked  to  them,  as  he  passed 
along  the  decks  for  a  final  inspection,  that  his  lads 
would  do  for  yonder  ship  what  the  Constitution 
had  done  for  the  Guerrtire,  his  remarks  were  met 
by  enthusiasm  and  delighted  cheers. 

Boston  felt  himself  a  veritable  hero  at  this  mo- 
ment. The  cheering  of  the  men  encouraged  him  ; 
he  fancied  he  had  mastered  his  fears,  and  his  little 
heart  swelled  with  pride  at  the  thought  that  he  was 
about  to  take  part  in  a  real  battle,  especially  as  the 
captain  stopped  a  minute  on  the  forecastle  and 
spoke  a  kind  and  approving  word  to  him. 

The  two  ships  approached  each  other  slowly  until 
they  came  within  fifty  yards  of  each  other,  where- 
upon Captain  Jones  sprang  upon  the  slide  of  a  car- 
ronade  and  hailed  the  stranger.  Instantly  the  brig 
hauled  down  the  Spanish  flag.  As  she  did  so  the 
stops  were  broken  from  several  little  balls  of  bunt- 
ing at  the  mastheads  and  gaff  ends,  and  the  splendid 
red  flag  of  England  ripped  out  in  the  fierce  wind  of 
the  gray  morning.  The  stars  and  stripes  had  been 

flying  on  the  Wasp  since  daybreak.     The  two  ships 

144 


NED   FIGHTS   HIS   FIRST   BATTLE 

were  edging  nearer  now,  and  they  were,  in  fact, 
right  abeam  of  each  other. 

Ned  Boston  stood  at  the  long  twelve  and  stared 
at  the  brig  rolling  until  she  almost  uncovered  her 
bilge.  He  could  see  the  men  at  the  guns,  the 
officers  on  the  poop.  There  was  a  big  gun  on  the 
brig's  forecastle  which  seemed  to  be  pointed  straight 
at  him.  Its  tompion  was  out,  and  it  looked  fear- 
fully huge  and  menacing.  The  boy  began  to  have 
that  sick,  faint  feeling  again.  He  trembled  slightly 
as  he  bit  his  lip  to  control  himself.  He  would  have 
found  relief  in  screaming  if  he  could  have  done  it. 
But  discipline  and  honor,  two  big  words  for  any 
boy,  constrained  him.  He  drew  his  sword,  and  the 
feel  of  the  weapon  reassured  him  a  little,  and  he  or- 
dered his  own  long  twelve  trained  carefully  on  the 
enemy. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  blaze  of  light  from  the  ship 
before  him,  then  a  cloud  of  smoke,  then  a  dull,  heavy, 
menacing  roar,  and  then  the  scream  of  shot ;  fol- 
lowed by  the  parting  of  rope,  the  tearing  of  canvas, 
a  crash  of  splintered  wood,  a  shriek,  a  cry  ;  a  man 
had  fallen  on  the  forecastle,  and  lay  groaning,  red 
blood  staining  the  white  deck. 

Boston  was  unharmed,  and  was  not  afraid  now. 
That  sight  of  the  wounded  seaman  made  him  angry. 
He  burned  to  fire  on  the  English  ship,  which  was 
swinging  nearer.  The  smoke  blew  quickly  away 
before  the  gale,  and  he  could  see  the  crew  of  the 
brig  frantically  reloading  their  cannon.  Now  they 

145 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

were  pointing  muskets  at  the  Wasp.  Would  Cap- 
tain Jones  never  begin  ? 

The  English  ship  opened  the  conflict  by  a  broad- 
side, accompanied  by  a  rattling  fire  of  musketry. 
For  a  few  moments  Jones  held  on,  until  he  got  in 
exactly  the  right  position,  when  he  gave  the  order 
to  fire,  and  the  broadside  of  the  Wasp  was  hurled 
back  on  the  enemy.  It  was  11.32  when  he  gave 
the  order.  The  ships  were  rolling  tremendously, 
burying  the  gun  muzzles  at  every  roll,  and  the  spray 
was  coming  aboard  in  bucketfuls,  but  the  gun  crews 
stood  to  their  quarters  and  blazed  away. 

Boston  had  soon  lost  the  paleness  which  had 
overspread  his  face  when  the  English  shot  had  come 
screaming  above  his  head,  and  the  mechanical  opera- 
tions of  preparing  and  loading  the  long  twelve- 
pounder  on  the  forecastle  so  distracted  his  mind  that 
he  became  actually  indifferent  to  the  noise  of  the 
battle.  Even  when  another  man  in  the  top  was 
struck  and  fell  to  the  deck,  in  his  wild  excitement 
he  was  scarcely  conscious  of  the  sight  which  would 
have  filled  him  with  horror  a  few  moments  before. 
Captain  Jones  remarked  that  the  English  broadside 
was  delivered  on  the  upward  roll  of  the  ship,  and 
the  balls  mainly  cleared  his  hull,  although  they 
played  havoc  among  the  Wasp's  top-hamper.  Cap- 
tain Jones  was  particular  to  direct  his  gunners  to 
aim  at  the  hull  of  the  enemy  and  to  fire  always  on 
the  downward  roll,  rather  than  on  the  upward  toss. 

The  different  tactics  of  the  two  contesting  com- 

146 


NED   FIGHTS   HIS   FIRST   BATTLE 

manders  in  this  particular  continued  to  the  end. 
The  English  invariably  fired  on  the  upward  roll 
while  the  Americans  did  the  reverse.  The  effect  of 
the  English  fire  at  the  top-hamper  of  the  American 
ship  was  soon  painfully  apparent. 


CHAPTER  XVIJ 

THE    WASP   TAKES   THE   FROLIC 

FOR  perhaps  five  minutes  the  furious  exchange  of 
broadsides  continued.  The  Americans  noticed  that 
the  English  fired  two  shots  to  their  one,  their  own 
fire  by  Captain  Jones's  direction  being  very  deliber- 
ate, great  care  being  taken  on  the  part  of  the  offi- 
cers and  men  to  see  that  the  guns  were  carefully 
aimed,  and  that  every  shot  hit,  with  what  effect,  of 
course,  could  not  yet  be  ascertained.  Meanwhile  the 
veterans  on  the  Wasp  remarked  that  they  had 
never  experienced  so  rapid  and  so  fierce  a  fire. 
The  air  was  filled  with  hurtling,  screaming  shot. 
Ropes  were  cut  above  their  heads,  stays  parted, 
braces  shot  away,  canvas  torn  to  ribbons,  and  the 
masts  wounded.  The  casualties  were  happily  very- 
few,  and  the  hull  of  the  Wasp  received  very  little 
punishment,  but  the  damage  aloft  was  surprising. 

Presently  there  was  a  tremendous  crash  overhead 
and  the  main  topmast  of  the  Wasp,  pierced  by  a 
shot  just  above  the  cap,  was  so  weakened  thereby 
as  to  be  unable  to  carry  the  sail  in  the  furious  wind 
blowing,  and  the  whole  thing  toppled  over  to  star- 
board. The  wreck  fell  across  the  fore-and-foretop- 

sail  braces,  rendering  it  impossible  for  the  Ameri- 

148 


THE   WASP   TAKES   THE  FROLIC 

cans  to  swing  their  head-yards.  Ordering  the  sail 
trimmers  aloft  to  clear  away  the  wreck,  Captain 
Jones  held  grimly  on,  still  pouring  in  his  fire  upon 
the  brig.  As  his  gunners  got  the  range  securely, 
their  own  fire  increased  in  rapidity  until  broadside 
matched  broadside.  The  men  on  both  ships  were 
mad  with  excitement.  They  were  so  close  to  each 
other  that  their  range  was  pointblank.  Again  and 
again  Ned  Boston  fired  his  heavy  twelve-pounder 
into  the  English  ship.  Mingled  with  the  roar  of 
the  carronades  and  the  scream  of  the  long  guns,  was 
the  continuous  crackle  of  the  small  arms. 

Fortunately  the  wind  blew  the  smoke  away,  so 
that  each  ship  was  plainly  visible  to  the  other  the 
whole  time  of  the  action.  Indeed  a  long  trail  of 
black  smoke  blew  away  to  leeward  after  the  strug- 
gling ships,  as  they  wallowed  along  in  the  great 
seas,  spitting  fire  'and  destruction  at  one  another. 
Three  minutes  after  the  loss  of  the  Wasp's  main 
topmast  her  spanker  gaff  was  shot  away  and  the 
torn  sail  was  whipped  into  ribbons  in  the  wind ; 
next,  before  it  could  be  secured,  the  upper  part  of 
the  mizzen  topmast  came  crashing  down  into  the 
top. 

Meanwhile  the  fire  of  the  enemy  seemed  to  be 
keeping  up  with  unabated  vigor.  No  material 
damage  of  any  sort  appeared  to  have  been  done  to 
her.  Every  spar  was  still  standing  and  she  looked 
as  fit  as  when  she  first  came  sweeping  gallantly 

into  the    action.     Captain    Jones   and   his  officers 

149 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

could  not  understand  it.  The  fire  of  the  Wasp 
apparently  had  been  delivered  carefully,  and  it  was 
a  mystery  to  them  why  her  shot  had  not  done  more 
damage.  So  far  as  they  could  judge  in  the  confu- 
sion of  the  action,  they  believed  that  many  of  their 
shot  had  struck  the  enemy,  yet  there  was  the  brig 
apparently  unharmed.  Captain  Jones  began  to  feel 
anxious. 

The  ships  had  been  gradually  closing  with  each 
other,  as  the  action  continued,  and  after  twenty 
minutes  of  close  fighting  they  were  within  sixty 
feet  of  one  another.  At  this  juncture  a  lucky  shot 
from  Boston's  long  gun  carried  away  the  head 
braces  of  the  brig.  Unable  to  swing  her  head- 
yards,  her  after  sail  forced  her  up  into  the  wind. 
At  the  same  time  the  loss  of  the  spanker  on  the 
Wasp,  the  head  sails  on  the  foremast  being  held 
rigid  by  the  pressure  of  the  main  topmast  upon  the 
braces,  threw  the  head  of  the  Wasp  to  starboard. 

The  two  ships  came  together  with  a  terrific  crash. 
The  bowsprit  of  the  brig  was  thrust  across  the  deck 
of  the  Wasp,  between  the  main  and  mizzen  masts, 
fouling  the  wreck  of  the  mizzen  top-gallant  mast. 
Foreseeing  the  opportunity  as  the  ships  were  swing- 
ing, Jones,  after  a  broadside  of  solid  shot,  which 
beat  the  English  bows  in,  had  directed  his  crew  to 
load  with  grape  and  canister.  As  the  two  ships 
came  together  the  entire  broadside  of  the  Wasp 
was  discharged  at  contact  range  into  the  helpless 
enemy.  She  was  raked  from  stem  to  stern  with  a 

150 


THE  WASP   TAKES  THE  FROLIC 

perfect  hail  of  bullets.  It  was  as  if  a  mighty  comb 
of  death  had  been  dragged  over  the  ship.  The  Eng- 
lish could  make  no  reply.  So  close  were  the  two 
vessels  that  the  American  rammers  had  struck  the 
bows  of  the  British  ship,  as  the  men  loaded  the 
guns  before  they  poured  in  their  awful  discharge. 

Boston,  on  the  forecastle,  from  his  elevated  posi- 
tion, had  depressed  his  gun,  and  the  shot  from  the 
long  twelve  had  ripped  through  the  deck  of  the 
hapless  English  ship.  At  the  same  time  Lieutenant 
Biddle  and  his  boarders  mustered  in  the  waist,  ready 
to  spring  upon  the  enemy.  They  came  running  to 
the  point  of  attack  without  being  called  away  and 
without  orders — in  fact,  in  despite  of  them.  Not  yet 
knowing  the  condition  of  the  enemy,  Captain  Jones 
would  fain  have  poured  in  another  raking  broadside 
or  two  before  he  boarded.  But  the  excited  men 
would  not  be  denied. 

Old  Jack  Lang,  bleeding  in  the  face  from  a  slight 
wound  caused  by  a  musket  bullet,  sprang  for  the 
bowsprit  of  the  English  ship,  grasped  a  rope,  drew 
himself  up,  and  scrambled  aboard.  Realizing  that 
the  brave  old  sailor  was  alone  on  the  deck  of  the 
English  ship,  Lieutenant  Biddle  instantly  jumped 
on  the  hammock  cloth  and  strove  to  follow  him.  As 
he  gained  the  rail  and  leaped  for  the  bowsprit,  he 
was  pulled  so  violently  backward  that  he  fell  to  the 
deck. 

Captain  Jones,  seeing  that  it  was  impossible  to 
stop  the  men,  had  called  away  all  boarders.  Ned 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

Boston,  with  the  fleetness  of  a  deer,  had  leaped  from 
the  forecastle  and  run,  sword  in  hand,  along  the  gang- 
way, to  the  place  where  the  two  ships  ground  and 
beat  upon  one  another  in  the  awful  sea  like  two  sav- 
age animals  locked  in  a  deadly  embrace  and  tearing 
furiously  at  one  another. 

As  Lieutenant  Biddle  strove  to  clamber  up  the 
steep  bows  of  the  enemy,  Ned  caught  him  by  the 
coat-tails  in  his  excitement,  thinking  to  use  him  as  a 
bridge  by  which  to  board.  But  the  weight  of  the 
midshipman  overbalanced  the  officer,  and,  aided  by 
a  heavy  roll  of  the  ship,  they  both  fell  to  the  deck 
together. 

The  ships  were  tossing  and  grinding  against  each 
other  like  angry  monsters  in  the  tremendous  seas. 
With  a  muttered  curse  Biddle  scrambled  to  his  feet, 
picked  up  the  midshipman,  who  followed  him  close, 
and  crying  :  "  You  want  to  board,  do  you  ?  You 
shall,"  leaped  on  the  rail  with  him,  threw  him  reck- 
lessly up  on  the  brig's  forecastle,  grasped  a  trailing 
rope,  and  swung  himself  aboard,  followed  hard  by 
Lieutenant  Rodgers  and  the  rest  of  the  boarders. 

The  sight  that  met  the  eyes  of  the  Americans 
beggars  description.  While  she  was  apparently  un- 
harmed aloft,  the  brig's  hull  had  been  beaten  into  a 
pulp.  Old  Jack  Lang  stood  alone  on  the  forecastle 
with  his  arms  folded  about  his  cutlass,  that  trick  of 
position  he  had,  staring  aghast  at  the  scene  before 
him.  In  all  his  experience  of  warfare,  dating  from 
the  day  he  had  participated  in  the  horrible  and  awful 

152 


Old  Jack  Lang  stood  alone  on  the  forecastle. 


THE  WASP  TAKES   THE  FROLIC 

battle  between  the  Bon  HommeRichardd3\&  Serapis, 
with  its  terrible  tale  of  killed  and  wounded,  he  had 
never  seen  such  a  slaughter.  The  deck  was  covered 
with  dead  and  wounded.  Every  gun  on  the  port 
side  had  been  dismounted.  The  bulwarks  had  been 
smashed  into  gaping  holes.  The  deck  was  red  with 
the  blood  of  the  slain,  washing  to  and  fro  with  the 
bodies  with  every  roll  or  heave. 

Way  aft  at  the  wheel  there  was  a  single  blood- 
stained old  sailor  grimly  clutching  the  spokes.  Be- 
sides this  brave  man  and  three  officers  not  a  soul  was 
standing  on  the  deck,  and  two  of  the  officers  were 
so  badly  wounded  that  they  could  not  stand  alone, 
but  were  forced  to  support  themselves  by  lean- 
ing against  the  rail.  The  third  officer,  who  was 
also  wounded,  as  a  token  of  surrender  threw  his 
sword  on  deck  with  a  groan  of  anguish,  and  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands.  Everybody  had  been  shot 
down. 

The  Americans  stopped  a  moment  awe-struck,  as 
Lang  had  been,  at  the  horrible  spectacle.  Then 
Lieutenant  Diddle  picked  his  way  aft,  carefully 
stepping  over  the  bodies  of  the  dead  and  dying,  and 
with  his  own  hand  struck  the  British  flag,  whip- 
ping fiercely  out  in  the  swift  gale  of  that  October 
morning. 

The  fire  of  the  Wasp  had  been  appalling  in  its 
destructiveness.  While  the  English  had  been  shoot- 
ing the  masts  and  spars  out  of  her  she  had  been  con- 
centrating her  shot  upon  the  hull  of  the  doomed  brig. 

153 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

The  heavy  bullets  from  the  American  carronades 
had  smashed  through  and  through  her.  The  fearful 
raking  she  had  received  at  short  range  had  swept 
the  decks  of  her  men.  She  was  a  helpless  ruin. 
Never  in  the  history  of  sea  fighting  had  there  been 
a  victory  more  complete  or  more  terrible  to  the 
defeated. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

,  i 

THE    WASP   IS   CAPTURED 

THE  prize  proved  to  be  the  British  war-brig 
Frolic,  twenty-two  guns  and  one  hundred  and  ten 
men,  of  whom  ninety  had  been  killed  or  wounded, 
or  over  eighty  per  cent,  almost  an  unparalleled  per- 
centage of  loss  in  ship  actions.  The  Frolic  was  a 
slightly  larger  ship  than  the  Wasp,  carrying  four 
more  guns,  the  total  weight  of  shot  of  her  broad- 
side being  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  pounds,  as 
against  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  for  the  Wasp, 
yet  she  had  been  cut  to  pieces  and  her  crew  practi- 
cally destroyed  by  the  smaller  and  weaker  ship  in 
forty-three  minutes,  which  was  the  time  elapsing 
between  the  firing  of  the  first  gun  and  the  striking 
of  the  flag  of  the  prize. 

As  soon  as  he  struck  her  flag  Lieutenant  Biddle 
hailed  the  Wasp,  telling  Captain  Jones  the  name  of 
her  prize,  and  describing  her  battered  condition 
and  the  frightful  loss  among  the  crew.  On  board 
the  Wasp  five  men  had  been  killed  and  only  five 
wounded.  The  wounded  had  been  at  once  attended 
to,  and  Jones  immediately  sent  his  surgeon  and 
surgeon's  mate  aboard  the  Frolic,  with  instructions 
for  them  to  do  everything  possible  for  the  British 

155 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

wounded.  He  also  left  Biddle  and  Rodgers  on  t!  $ 
prize  with  the  boarders  for  the  present,  orderij  £ 
them  to  do  what  they  could  to  get  the  Frolic  in 
shape,  to  be  taken  into  port  if  possible,  while  he 
and  his  men  attempted  to  repair  the  damage  sus- 
tained by  the  Wasp. 

The  two  ships  had  scarcely  parted,  however,  when, 
to  add  to  the  confusion  on  board  the  defeated 
vessel,  both  her  masts  carried  away,  the  mainmast 
going  close  to  the  deck  and  the  foremast  leaving  a 
stump  some  twelve  feet  high.  The  precarious  con- 
dition of  the  prize,  wallowing  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea,  made  it  necessary  to  get  rid  of  the  dead  cum- 
bering her  decks  without  delay.  The  safety  of  the 
living  demanded  it,  and  the  claims  of  the  wound- 
ed were  paramount  to  everything.  Therefore  the 
bodies  of  the  slaughtered  English  sailors  were 
silently  and  regretfully  cast  overboard,  without 
further  ceremony  than  a  quiet  prayer  here  and 
there  by  some  devout  man,  if  such  there  chanced  to 
be  among  the  American  seamen,  who  at  once  busily 
set  about  clearing  away  the  wreck  and  endeavoring 
to  rig  a  jury  mast,  which  would  permit  them  to  get 
the  vessel  before  the  wind.  The  wounded  men 
received  every  possible  attention.  If  they  had 
been  fierce  and  determined  enemies  in  battle,  the 
poor,  suffering  English  seamen  found  them  corre- 
spondingly tender  and  kind-hearted  after  the  action 
was  over. 

With  his  little  heart  wrung  beyond  expression  by 

156 


THE  WASP   IS   CAPTURED 

the  horrors  of  the  scene,  which  grew  upon  him  with 
every  passing  minute  as  the  heat  of  action  evapo- 
rated and  cooled  his  blood,  Ned  Boston  worked 
with  the  rest.  He  was  too  small  to  be  of  much 
service  in  clearing  away  the  wreck,  and  Lieutenant 
Biddle  finally  detailed  him  to  help  the  two  surgeons 
and  their  mates  below  in  the  cock-pit  and  on  the 
berth-deck,  whither  the  many  wounded  had  been 
placed. 

The  little  fellow  carried  water,  handed  instru- 
ments, administered  draughts,  held  the  hands  of 
struggling,  screaming  boys  as  young  as  himself, 
who  had  been  cut  to  pieces  by  the  American  fire, 
and  were  being  operated  upon  without  anaesthetics, 
which  were  unknown  in  that  day,  and  behaved  him- 
self like  the  kind-hearted  little  hero  he  was.  The 
busy  doctor  finally  noticed  that  he  grew  paler  and 
paler  under  the  sickening  tasks  and  at  last  sent  him 
up  on  deck. 

The  boy  clambered  painfully  up  the  ladders  until 
he  reached  the  deck,  when  his  knees  gave  way 
beneath  him.  He  sank  down  on  a  carronade  slide 
and  wept  sick,  bitter  tears.  It  was  old  Jack  Lang 
who  discovered  him.  The  scenes  through  which  he 
had  passed  had  been  too  much  for  him,  and  the 
reaction  was  so  great  that  he  could  no  longer  con- 
trol himself. 

"  Wot's  the  matter,  Master  Ned  ?  "  said  the  sailor, 
gently  laying  his  hand  on  the  boy's  head.  "Be  ye 
hurt,  sir?" 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  No,  no,  Lang,  but,  oh,  the  horror  on  this  awful 
ship  !  Isn't  it  dreadful  ?  " 

"  Dreadful  indeed,  sir,"  answered  Lang,  solemnly. 
"  I  never  seed  nuthin*  like  it.  W'y,  if  we  hadn't 
boarded  w'en  we  did,  there  wouldn't  'a'  been  a  man 
left  alive  on  her." 

"  What  have  you  done  with  the  dead  bodies  ?  " 

"  Put  'em  overboard,  sir,"  answered  the  sailor. 
"  We  had  to  do  it." 

"  Without  a  prayer  ?  " 

"  No  time  for  prayin'  now,  sir." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not — but — but — I  can't  bear  it." 

"  I  knows  how  ye  feel,  sir,"  said  the  old  man. 
"  War's  a  terrible  thing  at  best,  an'  I've  fit  in  four  of 
'em.  But  don't  ye  give  way,  sir,  you'll  git  used  to 
it." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  answered  the  boy,  choking 
down  his  sobs,  "  and  yet  to  think  that  anybody 
could  get  used  to  this,"  he  added,  with  a  sweep  of 
his  hand  and  a  glance  which  took  in  the  ship. 

Though  the  effect  of  the  fire  of  the  Wasp  was 
painfully  apparent,  yet  some  sort  of  order  had  been 
evoked  out  of  the  chaos.  The  guns  had  been 
secured,  the  wreck  cleared  away,  a  small  sail  bent 
on  the  stump  of  the  foremast,  and  the  vessel  got 
before  the  wind.  So  busy  had  been  the  men  at  the 
work,  however,  that  they  did  not  notice  a  larger 
ship,  rapidly  coming  up  before  the  wind,  until  she 
was  close  aboard  them.  Then  one  of  the  men  hap- 
pened to  glance  aft  and  saw  her. 

158 


THE  WASP   IS   CAPTURED 

"  Sail  ho ! "  he  shrieked,  in  sudden  surprise  and 
alarm. 

Alarm  indeed,  for  the  ship  approaching  so  rapidly 
was  undoubtedly  an  enemy.  One  glance  told  Bid- 
die  and  the  rest  that  she  was  a  ship-of-the-line,  and 
could  be  no  other  than  an  English  ship,  for  the 
American  navy  at  that  time  possessed  no  battle- 
ships. Under  her  three  topsails  and  jib  and 
spanker  she  swept  rapidly  past  the  helpless  Frolic, 
over  which  she  threw  a  single  shot,  and  headed 
away  for  the  Wasp,  now  some  distance  off. 

When  she  had  been  sighted  from  that  ship,  some 
time  before,  Captain  Jones,  in  desperation,  had  or- 
dered the  reefs  shaken  out  of  his  fore  and  mizzentop- 
sails,  and  then  attempted  to  set  his  foretop-gallant, 
in  spite  of  the  half -gale  still  blowing,  but  when  he 
did  so  he  discovered  that  the  sails  had  been  cut  to 
pieces  in  the  gaskets.  He  was  unable  to  fly  and 
powerless  to  fight.  A  battered  eighteen-gun  sloop- 
of-war  could  not  contend  for  a  moment  against  a 
seventy-four. 

When  the  liner  swept  alongside,  threw  a  shot 
over  the  ship,  and  ordered  him  to  surrender  there 
was  nothing  left  for  the  captain  to  do  but  to  obey. 
With  tears  of  mortification  they  struck  their  flag, 
and  found  themselves  a  prize  to  His  Britannic 
Majesty's  ship-of-the-line  Poictiers>  Captain  John 
Poer  Beresford. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    MAGNANIMITY    OF    THE    ENGLISHMAN 

IN  obedience  to  a  hail  the  Wasp  was  hove  to 
and  was  presently  boarded  by  a  cutter  from  the 
Poictiers.  A  lieutenant,  followed  by  a  little  squad 
of  marines  and  a  heavily  armed  boat  crew,  climbed 
to  the  deck  of  the  sloop-of-war,  being  received  at 
the  gangway  by  Captain  Jones  and  his  officers. 
Touching  his  hat  politely  the  lieutenant  remarked  : 

"  Sir,  I  am  Lieutenant  John  Bentham,  of  His 
Britannic  Majesty's  ship-of-the-line  Poictiers ;  Cap- 
tain John  Poer  Beresford.  You  are ?" 

"Captain  Jacob  Jones,  of  the  United  States 
sloop-of-war  Wasp"  returned  the  unfortunate 
American  commander,  tendering  his  sword. 

"  I  am  ordered,  sir,"  said  Lieutenant  Bentham, 
waving  the  proffered  weapon  gracefully  aside,  "  to 
take  charge  of  your  ship,  and  Captain  Beresford, 
my  commander,  requests  you  to  come  on  board  his 
ship  at  once,  with  such  of  your  officers  as  we  can 
accommodate  in  the  cutter.  I  see  that  you  have 
just  passed  through  a  severe  action." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"And  you  were   fortunate    enough   to  capture 

your  enemy  ?  n 

I6o 


MAGNANIMITY  OF   THE   ENGLISHMAN 

44  We  were." 

"What  brig  is  that?" 

44  It  was  formerly  His  Britannic  Majesty's  brig 
sloop  Frolic." 

"  What  !     Not  Whinyates'  brig  ?  " 

44 1  believe  so,  sir." 

44  Where  is  his  convoy  ?  " 

"Off  yonder,"  said  Captain  Jones,  pointing. 
44  He  made  such  a  stout  resistance  that  we  have 
been  unable  to  pursue  as  yet,  although  we  were 
hoping  to  overhaul  them  before  nightfall." 

44  Gad  !  "  said  Bentham,  4<  It's  lucky  we  came 
along.  The  Frolic  seems  to  be  pretty  badly  cut 
up." 

"I  regret  to  say,  sir,"  added  Jones,  "that  her 
casualties  are  very  heavy,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to 
learn." 

"  Is  it  so,  indeed  ?  By  the  way,  what  are 
yours  ?  " 

44  Five  killed  and  five  wounded." 

44  Is  it  possible  ?  But  I  shall  have  to  close  this 
interesting  conversation,  and  ask  you  to  go  aboard 
the  Poic tiers.  Mr.  Seagrave,"  said  Bentham,  step- 
ping to  the  side  and  calling  down  to  the  midship- 
man in  charge  of  the  boat,  44 1  will  send  you  down 
the  cutter's  crew,  and  you  can  carry  Captain  Jones 
of  the  Wasp  and  other  of  his  officers  over  to  the 
Poictiers.  Tumble  in  there,  men  !  "  he  continued, 
and  immediately  the  members  of  the  boat  crew 
resumed  their  places  at  the  thwarts. 


TN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Now,  sir,"  he  said  politely  to  Captain  Jones, 
with k a  wave  of  his  hand  toward  the  gangway. 

The  captain  stepped  forward,  stopped  a  moment 
and  took  a  long  look  around  his  beautiful  ship, 
lifted  his  hat  and  saluted  the  place  where  the  flag 
had  flown  so  triumphantly  at  the  gaff  end,  and  with 
a  choking  feeling  in  his  throat,  although  he  main- 
tained a  grave  and  impassive  face,  swung  him- 
self down  the  battens,  followed  by  two  or  three 
of  his  officers,  seated  himself  in  the  stern-sheets 
of  the  cutter,  and  was  soon  on  the  way  to  the 
huge  ship-of-the-line  towering  massively  before 
them. 

Oh,  he  thought  bitterly,  as  he  watched  the  mag- 
nificent structure  tossing  and  heaving  on  the  seas, 
and  marked  the  triple  row  of  great  guns  protrud- 
ing from  the  many-pierced  side  of  the  Vvar  monster, 
oh,  that  he  had  had  a  ship-of-the-line  under  his 
command,  or  even  a  frigate  like  the  great  Constitu- 
tion! He  would  not  have  struck  without  a  blow. 
But  with  the  helpless  little  sloop  Wasp,  badly  dis- 
abled from  the  conflict  of  the  morning,  to  fight  the 
liner  would  have  been  murder  to  his  men  and  sui- 
cide to  himself.  His  surrender  was  simply  inevita- 
ble. Summoning  to  his  aid,  therefore,  such  phi- 
losophy as  he  possessed,  he  mounted  the  side  of  the 
Poictiers.  The  officer  of  the  watch  met  him  and 
conducted  him  aft  to  the  high  poop,  where  the  cap- 
tain of  the  great  liner  awaited  him. 

"The  fortune  of  war,  sir,  has  made  my  sloop 

162 


MAGNANIMITY   OF  THE   ENGLISHMAN 

the  prize  of  your  great  battle-ship,  Captain  Beres- 
ford,"  said  Jones,  bowing  low  and  tendering  his 
sword. 

"  Sir,"  said  the  English  captain,  magnanimously, 
"  if  I  may  judge  from  appearances,  you  have  shown 
yourself  so  worthy  to  wear  your  sword  by  the  battle 
of  the  morning  that  I  beg  you  to  retain  it.  We 
have  guessed  that  yon  hulk  is  the  Frolic,  with 
which  Whinyates  undertook  to  convoy  a  lot  of 
traders  from  the  West  Indies  to  London  ?" 

"  You  are  right,  sir.     It  is  the  Frolic." 

"  You  seem  to  have  used  her  terribly,  sir,"  said 
the  British  officer,  curiously.  "  I  don't  understand 
it.  Mr.  Stenton,"  he  called  out  to  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, "  send  the  cutter  back  to  the — what  did 
you  say  your  ship  was  called,  sir  ?  " 

"  The  American  sloop-of-war  Wasp." 

"  Ah,  yes,  exactly.  Send  the  cutter  back  to  the 
Wasp.  Tell  Mr.  Bentham  to  keep  hove  to  until 
further  orders,  then  do  you  swing  our  yards  and 
run  down  toward  the  Frolic.  Do  you  know  any- 
thing about  her  casualties,  Captain  Jones  ?  " 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  they  are  very  severe.  She 
only  surrendered  when  she  became  entirely  helpless. 
In  fact,  when  my  men  boarded  they  were  forced  to 
strike  her  flag  with  their  own  hands." 

"  Is  Captain  Whinyates  killed  ?  " 

"  Badly  wounded,  sir,  but  not  dead  when  I  left 
him." 

"  Did  you — er — take  his  sword  ?  ' 

163 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

"  No,  sir.  I  thought  he  had  earned  the  right  to 
keep  it." 

"  That  was  very  handsome  of  you,  Captain  Jones, 
and  be  assured  I  shall  remember  it.  By  the  way, 
you  seem  to  be  pretty  well  cut  up  aloft  yourself, 
sir.  What  loss  have  you  sustained  ?  Shall  I  send 
you  a  surgeon  ?  " 

"  I  am  thankful  to  say  that  we  had  but  five  killed 
and  five  wounded.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  send 
a  surgeon.  In  fact  I  sent  both  my  surgeon  and  his 
mate  on  board  the  Frolic  to  do  what  they  could  for 
the  many  wounded,  and  they  are  still  there." 

"  Most  handsome,  sir,  most  handsome  of  you," 
answered  the  English  captain. 

While  this  conversation  had  been  carried  on  the 
ponderous  yards  of  the  Poictiers  had  been  swung, 
and  she  had  gathered  way  gently  and  moved  down  to 
the  Frolic,  slowly  swashing  along  in  the  fierce  wind 
through  the  tremendous  seas. 

"  I  have  a  mind  to  go  aboard  her  myself,"  said 
Captain  Beresford,  as  his  huge  ship  was  hove  to 
close  to  the  prize.  "  If  you  like  you  may  accom- 
pany me.  I  suppose  you  have  hardly  had  oppor- 
tunity to  examine  your  former  prize,  sir." 

Alas  that  unlucky  word  "  former "  which  the 
British  captain  had  unintentionally  emphasized  ! 

"Not  yet,"  answered  Jones.  "  We  were  so  busy 
trying  to  get  the  sloop  in  shape  again  that  we  had 
time  for  nothing  else.  I  should  like  very  much  to 

go-" 

104 


MAGNANIMITY   OF   THE   ENGLISHMAN 

The  captain's  gig  was  soon  manned  and  the  two 
officers  were  rowed  over  to  the  Frolic.  Sure  no 
ship  so  belied  her  name  as  this  floating  charnel 
house. 

"  Good  God ! "  exclaimed  Beresford,  starting 
back  aghast  as  he  stepped  aboard  the  wrecked  brig 
and  saw  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  Wasp's  guns. 
"  To  think  of  it !  To  think  of  it !  A  British  ship 
beaten,  knocked  into  a  cocked  hat,  and  her  crew 
swept  out  of  existence  in — how  long  did  you  say, 
sir  ? — forty  minutes,  by  an  American  of  less  size  and 
force !  I  could  understand  the  Constitutions  vic- 
tory over  the  Guerritre.  She  was  a  much  larger 
and  heavier  ship  than  ours.  But  this !  Great 
heavens.  She  is  a  wreck.  I  don't  understand  it." 

"  Captain  Beresford,"  said  Jones,  "  this  is  Mr.  Bid- 
die,  my  first  lieutenant.  This  is  Mr.  Rodgers,  and 
this  is  Midshipman  Boston,  who  have  been  endeav- 
oring to  get  the  prize — the  former  prize — in  shape." 

The  three  officers  bowed  formally  and  gravely 
tendered  their  swords. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  Englishman,  bowing  in 
his  turn,  "  retain  your  swords,  I  beg  of  you.  Where 
is  Captain  Whinyates  ?  " 

"  Below  with  the  surgeon,  sir,"  answered  Biddle. 

"  What  are  the  casualties  of  the  brig  ?  " 

"  I  believe  she  carried  one  hundred  and  ten  men, 
sir.  There  are  not  now  twenty  aboard  who  are  not 
hurt." 

"  What  have  you  done  with  the  dead  ?  " 

165 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  We  were  forced  to  throw  them  overboard  to 
clear  the  wreck.  The  demands  of  the  living,  the 
wounded,  that  is,  were  so  great  that  we  had  no 
time  to  spare  for  those  who  had  been  killed." 

"  Where  is  the  first  lieutenant  ?  " 

"  Wounded." 

"  The  second  ?  " 

"  Dead." 

"The  master?" 

"  Killed." 

"The  Bo's'n?" 

"  Dying." 

"  Merciful  heavens !  Is  there  no  officer  alive 
and  unhurt  ?  " 

"  Some  of  the  midshipmen,  sir." 

"  Take  me  below,"  said  the  English  captain.  "  I 
must  see  Whinyates." 

Down  in  his  own  berth,  which  had  been  riddled 
with  shot,  but  which  had  been  patched  up  tempo- 
rarily, lay  the  unfortunate  English  captain. 

"Whinyates,"  said  Beresford,  compassionately 
bending  over  his  brother  officer,  "  I  am  glad  to  see 
you.  We  have  recaptured  you." 

"  Thank  you  for  that,  Beresford,"  groaned  the 
wounded  English  captain. 

"Are  you  badly  hurt?" 

"  A  bullet  through  my  leg  and  a  wound  in  the 
forehead.  I  shall  pull  through  all  right,  the  sur- 
geon says.  I  wish  the  Yankees  had  killed  me,"  he 
groaned,  in  his  humiliation  and  despair. 

166 


MAGNANIMITY   OF   THE   ENGLISHMAN 

"  Don't  say  that,  old  man,"  remarked  Beresford, 
pityingly.  "  However,  you  are  not  in  condition 
to  resume  your  command,  are  you  ? " 

"  No,"  said  the  other,  "  I  am  not.  Good  God, 
my  heart's  broken  !  To  be  beaten  by  an  American 
and  to  be  cut  to  pieces  at  that ! " 

"  Never  mind,  old  fellow,"  said  Beresford,  cheer- 
ily, "  you  put  up  a  stiff  fight,  our  American  friend 
says." 

"What  are  their  casualties?  Tell-  me  the 
truth?" 

"  He  says  five  killed  and  as  many  wounded." 

"  And  we  have  ninety !  That  tells  the  story," 
responded  Whinyates,  bitterly. 

"  How  has  he  treated  you  and  your  men  ?  "  asked 
Beresford,  feeling  it  impossible  to  say  anything 
encouraging. 

"  Handsomely  !  They  have  done  everything  that 
could  be  done.  Left  me  my  sword  and  sent  their 
surgeon  to  assist  my  own." 

"  I  tell  you  what  I'll  do.  Is  the  brig  sea- 
worthy ? " 

"  I  think  so.  At  least  it  can  be  made  so.  Prob- 
ably she  is  already  tight.  They  have  been  working 
over  her  for  a  couple  of  hours." 

"  Well,  then,  I  shall  leave  you  in  command,  but 
I  will  send  a  lieutenant  aboard  to  do  the  work,  and 
I  think  I'd  better  convoy  you  and  the  prize  back  to 
the  Bermudas." 

"Thank  you,  Beresford." 

167 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Not  at  all.  Is  there  anything  more  we  can  do 
for  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  I  wish  to  God  I  could  die !  But 
Beresford,  I  want  to  tell  you  one  thing.  No  Eng- 
lish hand  struck  our  flag.  By  heavens,  we'd  have 
gone  down  all  standing,  but  they  caught  us  and 
raked  the  life  out  of  us,  and  then  swarmed  aboard. 
There  were  only  three  officers  left  on  the  deck,  and 
only  one  man  at  the  wheel,  and  he  was  wounded. 
All  three  of  us  were  wounded,  and  two  could  not 
stand  without  support.  Isn't  it  awful  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,  Whinyates.  You're  not  the  first 
captain  that  struck  to  an  American.  Witness 
Dacres  in  the  Guerrikrer 

"  Ah,  yes,  but  he  had  a  weaker  ship,  while 
j »» 

The  poor  Englishman  turned  to  the  wall  and 
groaned  in  his  misery.  Beresford,  unable  to  supply 
any  comfort,  walked  out  of  the  cabin.  When  he 
regained  the  deck,  as  he  approached  Captain  Jones, 
he  put  out  his  hand. 

"  Captain  Jones,"  he  said,  "  I  find  that  you  have 
behaved  with  the  greatest  magnanimity  and  kind- 
ness toward  my  countrymen.  I  want  to  express 
my  appreciation  of  your  handsome  conduct,  sir, 
and  to  assure  you  that  I  shall  repay  it  to  the  best  of 
my  power.  I  must,  of  course,  take  you  on  board 
the  Poictiers,  and  your  crew  also,  but  everything  con- 
sistent and  possible  will  be  done  for  your  and  their 
comfort.  If  your  officers  will  give  their  parole, 


MAGNANIMITY   OF   THE   ENGLISHMAN 

they  may  have  the  freedom  of  the  ship.  I  shall  be 
only  too  happy  if  you  will  consent  to  share  my 
cabin.  We  are  a  large  ship  and  not  overmanned. 
As  it  happens,  you  have  a  small  crew.  Our  ward- 
room can  take  in  your  lieutenants,  and  we  can  find 
room  in  the  steerage  for  your  midshipmen.  You 
may  go  back  to  your  ship  and  have  your  private 
baggage  packed  up  and  brought  off.  It  is  my  pur- 
pose to  take  the  three  vessels  back  to  the  Bermudas, 
where  you  will  be  speedily  exchanged,  no  doubt." 

"  Captain  Beresford,  your  behavior  is  most  gener- 
ous and  I  deeply  appreciate  it,"  responded  Jones, 
touched  and  pleased  at  the  other's  manly  words. 
"  I  will  gladly  give  you  my  parole  in  behalf  of  my 
officers  and  men.  There  is  one  subject,  however, 
that  I  must  speak  about.  It  is  a  delicate  matter, 
yet  you  have  been  good  enough  to  say  that  I 
treated  the  men  of  the  Frolic  with  humanity  and 
kindness.  I  would  not  mention  it  if  you  had  not 
spoken  of  it.  I  claim  no  exemption  on  that 
account.  'Tis  a  simple  duty  of  an  officer  and  gen- 
tleman. But,  sir,  may  I  beg  that  there  will  be  no 
scrutiny  of  my  crew  and  that  there  will  be  no 
attempt  to  impress  any  of  my  seamen  ?  So  far  as 
I  know,  they  are  all  Americans.  I  will  frankly 
admit  to  you,  however,  that  one  or  two  of  them 
have,  at  different  times,  been  impressed  on  British 
men-of-war,  and  in  their  behalf  I  beg  you — in 
short,  will  you  not  be  magnanimous  and  make  no 
scrutiny  ?  " 

169 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Captain  Jones,"  answered  Beresford,  "  I  repeat, 
sir,  that  I  owe  you  much  for  the  humanity  you 
exhibited  and  that  I  appreciate  the  spirit  that  has 
governed  you.  It  shall  be  as  you  wish." 

"  I  will  pledge  you  my  word  of  honor,  Captain 
Beresford,  that  the  men  to  whom  I  refer,  to  the  best 
of  my  knowledge  and  belief,  are  American  citizens. 
I  would  not  wish  them  to  suffer  because  of  their 
English  service." 

"  I  will  close  my  eyes,  Captain  Jones,  to  any  such 
conditions,"  returned  the  Englishman,  extending 
his  hand,  which  the  American  sailor  warmly  clasped. 
"  Now  that  everything  is  arranged,  will  you  go  over 
to  the  Wasp,  and  prepare  for  your  visit  with  me  ?  " 

It  was  such  amenities  as  these  between  the  navies 
of  the  two  nations,  when  war  was  once  begun,  that 
softened  its  horrors,  and  eventually  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  friendships,  which  the  final  peace  enabled 
to  grow  strong  and  deep. 

Before  nightfall  Captain  Jones  and  his  officers 
had  been  transferred  to  the  Polctiers,  the  lost  spars 
on  the  Wasp  had  been  replaced,  a  workable  jury 
rig  had  been  got  up  on  the  brig,  and  the  three 
vessels  bore  away  to  the  southward  and  headed  for 
the  Bermudas. 

Captain  Jones  had  caused  word  to  be  passed 
among  the  crew  that  there  would  be  no  scrutiny  of 
his  seamen  for  British  deserters,  and  the  news  had 
lifted  a  terrible  weight  from  the  heart  of  old  Jack 
Lang,  who  had  been  impressed  upon  a  British  man- 

170 


MAGNANIMITY   OF   THE   ENGLISHMAN 

of-war,  from  which  he  had  escaped  just  before  the 
war  broke  out.  When  they  were  captured  he  had 
anticipated  nothing  else  than  that  he  should  be 
flogged  to  death  in  the  unfortunate  situation  in 
which  he  found  himself. 


CJdAPTKK    XX 

NED   BOSTON   CHAMPIONS   THE   UNITED   STATES 

THE  discomfited,  downcast  midshipmen  of  the 
Wasp  were  welcomed  with  much  cordiality  to  the 
steerage  of  the  Poictiers  by  her  midshipmen,  who 
took  their  cue  from  their  magnanimous  captain  and 
began  by  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  make 
their  prisoners  comfortable.  The  Americans  re- 
sponded to  their  efforts  and,  boylike,  began  to 
forget  their  sorrows  ;  all,  that  is,  but  Ned  Boston, 
the  youngest  of  them  all.  His  little  soul  had  been 
so  tried  that  day,  first  by  the  excitement  of  the  battle, 
next  by  the  terrible  scene  he  had  witnessed  when 
he  boarded  the  Frolic,  and  the  horrors  that  he  had 
participated  in  while  he  had  been  assisting  the  sur- 
geons, and  lastly  by  the  recapture  of  the  ship,  which 
had  added  the  last  touch  to  his  heart-broken  de- 
pression, that  he  found  himself  utterly  unable  to 
join  in  the  skylarking  with  which  the  older  and 
more  experienced  lads  strove  to  throw  aside  the 
appalling  impressions  of  the  terrible  day  they  had 
passed. 

After  supper,  and  before  the  night  watches  were 
set,  the  Americans,  with  all  the  English  who  could 
be  spared  from  their  stations,  were  congregated  in 

172 


NED  CHAMPIONS  THE  UNITED  STATES 

the  steerage  discussing  the  events  of  the  day.  Ned 
sat  on  a  transom  in  the  darkest  corner,  taking  no 
part  in  the  conversation.  The  novelty  of  the  situa- 
tion had  worn  away.  The  English  lads,  who  had 
become  somewhat  used  to  the  presence  of  the 
Americans  and  no  longer  regarded  themselves  ex- 
actly as  hosts,  began  to  exhibit  a  tendency  to  make 
slighting  remarks.  Mindful  of  Captain  Jones's  strict 
instructions,  the  Americans  controlled  themselves 
as  best  they  could,  although  the  situation  was  rapid- 
ly becoming  so  strained  that  something  was  sure  to 
happen. 

Strangely  enough,  the  smallest  of  the  group  of 
Americans  focussed  the  storm  upon  himself.  The 
conversation  had  turned  on  the  battle.  The  longer 
the  English  considered  it  the  more  angry  they  be- 
came at  the  thought  of  the  overwhelming  victory  of 
the  Wasp.  They  sought  to  explain  it  by  innuendoes 
and  suggestions  of  various  sorts,  all  implying  some- 
thing unfair  on  the  part  of  the  American  ship.  These 
insinuations  were  difficult  to  resent,  for  they  were 
not  sufficiently  definite  to  be  contradicted,  and  mat- 
ters were  fast  becoming  unbearable  when  the  atten- 
tion of  the  youngest  of  the  English  midshipmen,  a 
youngster  named  Hodson,  was  attracted  by  the 
sound  of  a  sob  to  the  corner  of  the  steerage,  in 
which  Boston  sat  huddled  up  in  a  disconsolate  little 
heap. 

"  Hey,  what's  this  ?  "  he  called  out,  breaking  ouc 
of  the  crowd  aud  stepping  toward  the  corner 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Show  a  light  here,  gentlemen.  Blast  .my  eyes, 
if  it  isn't  the  little  Yankee  reefer  bawling  like  a 
baby  !  What  are  you  snivelling  about,  you  little 
calf?" 

As  he  spoke  there  was  a  general  outburst  of  up- 
roarious laughter  from  the  English  midshipmen. 
Van  Cleave,  Claxton,  and  Ten  Eyck  immediately 
stepped  forward  with  flushed  faces  and  clenched 
fists  to  defend  their  comrade.  The  English  mid- 
shipman's insolence,  however,  had  pierced  through 
Boston's  melancholy  misery,  and  with  his  face  aflame 
the  youngster  leaped  to  his  feet  and  sprang  into  the 
midst  of  the  excited  midshipmen  grouped  under  the 
lamp. 

"What  do  you  mean,  you  little  cur,"  he  cried, 
"  by  calling  me  a  baby  and  a  calf  ?  If  you  want  to 
know  why  I  was  crying^  I'll  tell  you  !  I  was  cry- 
ing because  we  didn't  have  time  enough  to  do  more 
damage  to  your  rickety  old  tub  of  a  Frolic  before 
you  came  down,  and  I  was  crying  because  we  didn't 
have  a  ship  big  enough  to  take  this  one.  That's 
what  I  was  crying  for  ! " 

All  this,  of  course,  was  not  a  word  of  it  true,  but 
it  was  nevertheless  very  effective. 

"  You  lie  ! "  said  the  English  lad,  promptly,  and 
with  equal  promptness  Boston  struck  him  a  re- 
sounding slap  in  the  face. 

The  oldest  English  midshipmen  and  Van  Cleave 
at  once  sprang  between  the  two  excited  boys. 

"  It  will  be  some  time,  sir,"  said  Dashwood,  the 

174 


NED  CHAMPIONS  THE  UNITED  STATES 

older  of  the  two,  who  was,  by  tacit  consent,  the 
leader  of  the  steerage  on  the  Poictiers,  addressing 
Van  Cleave  as  the  ranking  American  midshipman, 
"  before  these  young  gentlemen  will  have  opportu- 
nity to  settle  their  differences  with  the  weapons  of 
their  rank  and  station." 

He  meant,  by  this  remarkable  sentence,  swords 
and  pistols  !  Duels  were  common  even  among  the 
smallest  midshipmen  in  those  bloodthirsty  days,  and 
the  remark  of  the  Englishman  was  not  greeted  with 
that  amusement  that  such  a  statement  would  pro- 
duce to-day. 

"  You're  quite  right,  sir,"  said  Van  Cleave,  with 
equal  gravity.  "  I  take  it  upon  myself  to  represent 
Mr.  Boston.  Indeed,  in  view  of  the  tender  age  of 
both  parties  to  this  quarrel,  I  think  it  would  be 
better,"  he  continued,  "to  let  them  fight  it  out 
now." 

"  Exactly  my  own  views,  sir,"  said  the  English 
youth. 

"And,"  continued  the  American,  smoothly,  "if 
you  desire  and  are  willing  to  stand  in  your  princi- 
pal's shoes,  I  shall  be  glad,  when  we  are  exchanged, 
to  take  upon  myself  the  full  responsibility  for  Mr. 
Boston's  words  or  actions  and  meet  you  with  any 
weapon  at  the  first  convenient  opportunity." 

"  Sir,  you  do  me  proud,"  said  the  Englishman, 
promptly.  "  Meanwhile,  we'll  let  the  yc  jngsters 
fight  it  out  right  now." 

"  They  are  very  small,"  interposed  Claxton,  "  for 

175 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

champions,  but  I  propose,  gentlemen,  that  we  let 
this — er — discussion  take  away  all  the  enmities 
which  are  so  rapidly  coming  to  a  head,  as  we  have 
all  noticed,  and  that,  whatever  the  result  may  be,  we 
will  remain  peaceable  until  the  end  of  the  cruise." 

"  You're  right  again,"  said  Dashwood.  "  In  fact, 
gentlemen,  I  am  ashamed  that  I  should  have  allowed 
any  of  my  men  to  go  so  far,  since  you  are  our  pris — 
our  guests,  I  should  say,  but  I  suppose  there  is  no 
help  for  it  now." 

"  If  the  blooming  little  American  will  apologize 
for  striking  me,  I'll  let  him  off,"  said  the  doughty 
Mr.  Hodson,  who  had  been  constituted  the  cham- 
pion of  the  steerage. 

"  If  you  come  out  from  behind  that  big  fellow," 
cried  Ned,  promptly,  "  I'll  slap  you  again  !" 

"  Wough  ! "  roared  the  English  boy,  struggling 
to  get  away  from  Dashwood,  "  let  me  get  at  him  !" 

"  Now,  you  youngsters,"  said  the  leader  of  the 
steerage,  calmly,  "  mind  you  fight  fair  !  No  biting, 
no  kicking,  no  gouging  allowed !  Mr.  Van 
Cleave,"  indicating  the  American,  "  agrees  with  me, 
and  we'll  both  see  fair  play  is  done.  The  rest  of 
you  keep  back  and  give  them  plenty  of  sea-room. 
Now  pile  in,  and  whenever  either  of  you  gets 
enough  of  it,  say  so,  and  the  affair  will  be  closed." 

Both  boys  had  hastily  torn  off  their  jackets.  The 
English  lad  was  slightly  taller  and  heavier  than 
Boston  and  he  had  the  advantage  of  a  year  in  age, 
but  they  were  a  very  good  match  indeed.  They 

176 


NED  CHAMPIONS  THE  UNITED  STATES 

flew  at  each  other  like  young  wild-cats.  Neither  of 
them  displayed  any  science  or  skill  in  the  manner 
in  which  they  handled  their  fists,  and  their  excite- 
ment rendered  most  of  their  blows  innocuous  more 
or  less.  They  wrestled  furiously  together  for  a  few 
moments,  when  Hodson  succeeded  in  pushing  Bos- 
ton to  the  deck.  He  leaped  on  him  at  once,  but 
the  two  midshipmen  summarily  hauled  him  off. 
Boston  scrambled  to  his  feet  again,  and  responding 
with  a  fierce  negative  as  to  whether  he  had  had 
enough  of  it,  they  were  turned  loose  upon  each 
other  once  more. 

The  English  lad  soon  found  that  if  Boston  could 
cry  he  could  also  fight ;  as  he  rushed  recklessly  in 
again,  thinking  to  repeat  his  former  success,  by  a 
lucky  chance  Boston  got  in  a  solid  blow  on  the 
nose  of  his  opponent,  and  the  blood  spurted.  In 
spite  of  this,  however,  they  clenched  and  went  down 
again,  the  American  beneath  as  before.  Again 
they  were  pulled  apart  and  again  the  battle  was 
joined.  With  monotonous  regularity  the  younger 
American  boy  appeared  to  be  getting  the  worst  of 
it,  but  strange  to  say  his  fire  and  intensity  grew 
with  every  fall,  until  Hodson,  who  was  as  plucky  as 
most  boys  are,  actually  began  to  quail  before  the 
lad  who  could  take  so  much  beating  and  come  up 
so  smilingly  and  so  confidently  after  every  fall. 

As  the  feeling  stole  upon  him  that  he  was  face  to 
face  with  the  unconquerable,  the  force  of  his  own 

attack  diminished.     In  the  last  rush  he  came  to 

177 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

grief.  His  foot  slipped,  Boston  struck  him  heavily 
at  the  same  time,  then  leaped  upon  him  and  sent 
him  crashing  to  the  deck.  His  head  struck  a  ring 
bolt  and  the  shock  stunned  him.  As  they  dragged 
the  American  away  from  the  British  lad,  and  held 
him  tightly,  he  glared  down  at  his  prostrate  foe, 
shouting,  furiously, 

"  Have  you  had  enough  ?  Call  me  a  baby,  will 
you  ?  Have  you  had  enough  ?" 

"  He  can't  speak,"  said  Dashwood,  stooping  down 
and  examining  him  ;  "he  has  been  stunned.  In  his 
behalf,  however,  I  will  say,  as  he  is  incapable  of 
continuing  the  fight,  he  must  have  had  enough." 

"  You're  right,  Dashwood,"  exclaimed  a  feeble 
voice  from  the  deck,  "  I  have."  Hodson  struggled 
to  his  feet.  "  Where  is  that  young  American  wild- 
cat ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I'm  here,"  said  Boston,  coming  up  with  clenched 
fists. 

"  I'm  proud  to  know  you,"  said  the  English  lad, 
rising  and  turning  toward  him,  "  you're  a  gentleman 
and  an  officer.  I  never  saw  a  man  before  who 
could  take  so  much  licking  as  you  got  and  win  out 
at  the  end !  You  can  cry  all  you  want  to.  You 
are  no  calf  and  no  baby.  You're  a  man,  and  I  am 
proud  to  have  met  you.  Put  it  there.  Let's  be 
friends,"  he  said,  extending  one  hand  and  wiping 
the  blood  from  his  face  with  the  other. 

The  two  antagonists  then  shook  hands  amid  the 

cheers  of  the  steerage.     The  enmity  that  had  been 

178 


NED  CHAMPIONS  THE  UNITED  STATES 

engendered  was  thus  dispelled,  and  they  were  all 
engaged  in  pledging  each  other  and  vowing  eter- 
nal friendship  when  the  master-at-arms  thrust  his 
head  in  the  door  of  the  steerage  and  remarked, 
grimly,  "Two  bells,  young  gentlemen.  Put  out 
lights ! " 

The  voyage  to  the  Bermudas  thereafter  was  a 
pleasant  one.  When  they  reached  the  islands  good 
news  awaited  them.  Captain  Jones  and  his  crew, 
intact,  as  Captain  Beresford  had  magnanimously 
promised,  were  exchanged  for  Captain  Dacres  of 
the  Guerritre  and  a  like  number  of  his  crew,  and 
were  sent  back  to  the  United  States  in  a  cartel. 

Congress  voted  $25,000  prize  money  to  be  divided 
among  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Wasp  to  reim- 
burse them  for  the  loss  they  had  sustained  in  the 
recapture  of  the  Frolic.  It  also  awarded  Master 
Commandant  Jones  a  gold  medal  and  promoted 
him  to  the  rank  of  captain.  Each  of  the  other 
officers  received  a  silver  medal,  and  no  little  breast 
heaved  with  more,  pleasure  under  such  an  honorable 
burden  than  did  Master  Ned  Boston's  when  Captain 
Jones,  with  kindly  words  of  commendation,  pinned 
it  on  him. 

Taking  his  share  of  the  prize  money  and  his 
medal,  and  accompanied  by  old  Jack  Lang,  whose 
"  ol'  woman  "  had  died  and  his  children  had  scat- 
tered long  since,  Midshipman  Boston,  on  a  leave  of 
absence,  returned  to  his  home  to  display  the  trophies 
of  his  prowess,  expend  his  prize  money,  and  delight 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

his  adopted  father,  old  Commodore  Little,  with  the 
story  of  his  exploits. 

But  a  few  months  had  elapsed  since  he  had  start- 
ed out  upon  his  naval  career,  yet  there  had  been 
wrought  a  great  change  in  him.  Some  of  the 
sweetness  and  much  of  the  innocence  of  his  charac- 
ter had  vanished,  but  other  things  had  taken  their 
place.  He  had  mingled  with  men.  He  had  fought 
in  battles.  He  had  braved  storms.  He  had  failed, 
and  he  had  succeeded.  One  would  scarcely  have 
dreamed  that  a  few  months  could  compass  so  much 
and  make  so  mighty  a  change  in  a  small  boy.  He 
was  manlier  than  he  had  ever  been,  yet  the  old 
Commodore's  wife,  to  whom  he  had  been  as  her 
own  child,  wept  over  the  change.  He  would  never 
be  again,  as  he  had  been  in  the  past,  "  her  little 
boy,"  as  she  had  affectionately  called  him. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

OLD    FRIENDS   ARE    MET   TOGETHER 

THE  year  that  followed  was  one  of  comparative 
inaction  for  our  hero.  Captain  Jones  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  superintend  the  refitting  of  the  fine 
frigate  Macedonian,  which  Decatur  had  captured 
from  the  British  in  our  old  friend,  the  United 
States.  After  she  had  been  thoroughly  overhauled 
Jones  was  placed  in  command  of  her,  and  under  the 
command  of  Commodore  Decatur,  still  flying  his 
broad  pennant  on  his  now  famous  frigate,  the  two 
ships,  with  the  sloop-of-war  Hornet,  sailed  on  a 
cruise. 

In  the  crew  of  the  Macedonian  were  Midshipman 
Boston  and  Chief  Boatswain's  Mate  Jack  Lang. 
They  had  succeeded  in  rounding  up  Billy  Bowline 
as  well,  and  that  young  man  was  now  the  dashing 
captain  of  the  foretop. 

The  three  ships  had  scarcely  cleared  the  land, 
however,  when  they  were  driven  back  to  New  Lon- 
don by  two  British  ships-of-the-line,  seventy-fours, 
and  a  heavy  frigate.  There,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Hornet,  which  managed  to  slip  away,  they  were 
blockaded  for  the  rest  of  the  war,  and,  although 
Commodore  Decatur  promptly  challenged  the  block- 

181 


IN  THE  WASP'S   NEST 

aders  and  offered  to  fight  any  two  frigates  of  equal 
size,  with  the  United  States  and  Macedonian,  his 
challenge  was  never  accepted,  on  one  pretext  or 
another,  and  the  American  ships  had  to  bide  quietly 
within  the  harbor. 

It  was  very  vexing  to  officers  and  men  to  be 
forced  to  keep  their  ships  inactive,  while  their  com- 
rades were  winning  renown  upon  the  high  seas,  but 
it  was  probably  the  best  thing  from  one  point  of 
view  that  could  have  happened  to  Master  Boston, 
for  he  made  great  progress  in  mastering  the  intri- 
cate duties  of  his  profession.  Old  Jack  Lang 
taught  him  every  detail  of  knot-and-splice  sea- 
manship, until  he  could  "  Hand,  reef,  and  steer " 
with  any  "A.  B."  aboard.  Captain  Jones  himself 
deigned  to  supervise  his  lessons  in  navigation,  and 
he  even  came  frequently  under  the  eye  of  the  great 
Commodore  Decatur,  by  his  special  favor  dining 
with  him  more  than  once  in  the  cabin  of  the  United 
States. 

Under  these  favorable  auspices  the  young  man, 
grown  considerably  taller  and  stronger  than  when 
he  first  entered  the  navy,  made  rapid  headway.  He 
laid  a  foundation  which  was  full  of  promise,  and,  in 
short,  bade  fair,  if  he  continued  his  progress,  to 
be  one  of  the  most  accomplished  young  officers  of 
our  brilliant  navy.  Having  gone  through  two  short 
cruises  and  one  desperate  battle,  he  was  immune 
from  the  rough  hazing  he  had  been  subjected  to 

in   the    beginning   of   his   naval   service.     Indeed, 

183 


OLD   FRIENDS  ARE    MET   TOGETHER 

although  he  was  still  the  youngest  midshipman  in 
the  steerage,  he  was  counted  a  veteran,  and  some- 
what deferred  to  by  older  and  larger  lads  who  had 
not  enjoyed  his  experience. 

Commodore  Decatur  kept  the  two  ships  in  a  state 
of  instant  preparation.  It  could  never  be  deter- 
mined when  an  opportunity  for  escape  might  be 
afforded  them,  and  he  was  resolved  that  no  chances 
should  be  lost  by  any  unpreparedness  in  his  squad- 
ron. Consequently,  like  most  of  the  officers,  Ned 
Boston  got  little  leave  of  absence,  and,  in  fact,  was 
rarely  off  his  ship.  He  had  not  seen  the  kind  old 
commodore  who  had  adopted  him  since  he  had 
joined  the  Macedonian,  although  he  had  written 
and  received  frequent  letters. 

One  pleasant  day  in  April,  1814,  a  shore-boat 
was  observed  by  the  lookouts  on  the  Macedonian 
pulling  down  the  river  from  New  London  toward  the 
United  States.  Shortly  afterward  the  boom  of  can- 
non roared  out  in  salute  from  the  other  frigate,  and 
the  idle  observers  on  the  Macedonian  became  aware 
of  the  fact  that  someone  of  distinction  had  boarded 
the  flag-ship. 

Captain  Jones  was  on  the  alert,  therefore,  and 
when  a  few  moments  later  Commodore  Decatur's 
barge  pulled  around  under  the  stern  of  the  United 
States,  and  made  for  his  own  ship,  he  had  every- 
thing in  readiness  for  his  reception.  The  commo- 
dore, in  his  brilliant  uniform,  was  not  alone  in  the 
stern  sheets.  There  was  with  him  in  the  barge 

183 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

a  stout,  quaint-looking,  officer,  in  a  curious,  old- 
fashioned  uniform,  a  three-cornered  cocked  hat 
covering  his  powdered  naval  wig. 

Standing  on  the  quarter-deck,  watching  the 
approaching  boat,  Captain  Jones's  eye  fell  upon  the 
familiar  figure,  and  he  wondered,  with  a  faint  yet 
increasing  sense  of  recognition,  who  could  be  with 
the  commodore.  But  it  was  not  until  the  two 
officers  had  been  piped  over  the  side,  with  all  cere- 
mony, that  he  recognized  his  old  friend,  Commo- 
dore Little,  the  sometime  commander  of  the 
Boston. 

The  iron  discipline  of  the  ship  prevented  Master 
Ned,  standing  at  attention  with  the  other  midship- 
men on  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck  to  receive 
the  two  commodores,  from  making  himself  known, 
but  the  youngster's  eyes  were  shining  with  delight 
for  the  summons  that  he  knew  would  soon  be  made. 
Commodore  Little  was  too  thorough  a  discipli- 
narian, himself,  to  do  more  than  glance  at  his 
adopted  son.  After  standing,  chatting,  on  deck 
a  few  moments,  by  Captain  Jones's  invitation,  the 
three  officers  entered  the  ship's  cabin,  and  a  moment 
after  the  marine  orderly  on  guard  came  up  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  saluted,  and  informed  him,  with 
the  captain's  compliments,  that  he  wanted  to  see 
Midshipman  Boston. 

4<  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  officer,  "you're  wanted 
in  the  cabin." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"   answered  the  boy,  touching  his 


OLD    FRIENDS   ARE   MET  TOGETHER 

cap ;  and  in  a  moment  he  was  in  the  presence  of 
his  kind  old  friend.  Restraining  an  impulse  to 
throw  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  old  man  he  so 
loved,  who  had  been  so  good  to  him,  he  stopped 
in  the  door,  saluted  again,  and  stood  at  attention. 
The  three  officers  smiled  approvingly  at  the  evi- 
dence of  discipline  presented. 

"By  Jove,  Jones!"  said  Decatur,  "you  must 
have  beautiful  discipline  on  this  ship.  Even  natural 
affection  is  subdued  by  it." 

"Well,  Decatur,"  returned  the  other,  smiling, 
"you  know  I  have  always  held  that  even  natural 
affection,  itself,  should  be  disciplined,  and  should 
give  way  to  the  customs  of  the  service." 

"Quite  right,  quite  right,  young  gentleman,"  re- 
marked the  veteran  of  the  past,  apparently  forget- 
ful of  the  fact  that  the  men  he  addressed  were  no 
longer  midshipmen.  "  But  having  demonstrated 
your  discipline  I  should  like  to  have  a  nearer  look 
at  my  boy,  and  with  your  permission " 

As  he  spoke  the  old  gentleman  opened  his  arms, 
and,  with  a  glad  cry  of  delight,  Ned  threw  himself 
enthusiastically  upon  him. 

"  So,  so,"  said  the  old  man,  gently  thrusting  him 
back  at  arm's  length,  after  a  hearty  hug,  and  look- 
ing him  over  carefully,  "he  looks  quite  a  sailor; 
doesn't  he,  lads  ?  Nay,  boy,  never  blush  to  be 
called  a  sailor.  Well,  I  always  knew  he  would 
make  one ;  eh,  gentlemen  ?  Do  you  remember  that 
christening  on  the  old  Boston,  Jones,  with  Commo- 
ns 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

dore  Barry  and  you  and  Decatur  for  godfathers, 
andTalcott  and  Blakelyandmyself  and  Jack  Lang? 
By  the  way,  where  is  the  old  man  ?  Do  you  know 
anything  about  him  ?  " 

"  He  is  my  chief  bo's'n's  mate,"  answered  Jones. 

"  Is  that  so  ?     I  want  you  to  give  him  up." 

"  Give  him  up,  sir  !     Why  ?  "  in  great  surprise. 

"  Well,  you  see,  Blakely — you  remember  Blakely, 
of  course  ? — he  was  one  of  my  midshipmen  when  we 
knocked  Le  Berceau  into  a  cocked  hat,  you  know, 
and  we  picked  up  this  youngster — well,  he  has 
been  promoted  from  the  Enterprise  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  new  Wasp,  just  completed  at  New- 
buryport.  The  sloop  they  built  to  take  the  place 
of  yours,  you  know,  and  in  honor  of  your  victory. 
By  gad,  sir,  'twas  a  famous  fight !  I  would  I'd 
been  there  ! " 

"  Your  young  representative,  however,  did  very 
well,"  said  Jones,  quietly  ;  at  which  Master  Boston 
flushed  with  pleasure. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  old  man. 

"  How  could  he  be  otherwise  ? "  laughed  Deca- 
tur, "with  such  a  lot  of  fire-eating  godfathers,  and 
old  Jones  here  to  make  us  all  respectable  ?  " 

"  Quite  so,  quite  so.  And  I  remember,"  laughed 
the  commodore,  "  that  you  were  put  in  because  the 
rest  of  us  were  so  sedate.  You  thought  we  needed 
lightening  a  bit." 

"  Hush,  Commodore ! "  said  Decatur,  in  mock 
anxiety,  "  remember  that  I  am  a  commodore  myself 

186 


OLD   FRIENDS  ARE   MET   TOGETHER 

now,  and  have  a  reputation  for  seriousness  to  sus- 
tain. For  heaven's  sake,  don't  ruin  me  with  my 
associates ! " 

"  But  about  Blakely  and  the  Wasp  and  my  chief 
bo's'n's  mate,  Commodore?"  interrupted  Jones. 

"Well,  you  see,  Blakely  is  making  up  a  crew. 
He  hasn't  much  choice.  There  is  hardly  a  sailor 
man  left  on  the  coast.  The  big  frigates  and  crack 
sloops  have  got  the  pick  of  the  lot,  the  privateers 
have  taken  the  balance,  and  by  gad,  sirs,  he's  had  to 
man  his  ship  practically  with  land  lubbers !  They 
are  a  mighty  good  set  of  men,  so  far  as  that  goes, 
but  scarcely  an  able  seaman  among  them,  I'm  told. 
In  fact,  I've  seen  them  myself,  for  I've  just  come 
from  there.  There  is  one  thing  they  can  do,  they 
can  shoot !  Blakely  said  if  he  couldn't  get  sailor 
men,  he'd  get  good  shots  anyway,  so  he  was  very 
careful  about  his  selection." 

"  He  was  right,"  said  Decatur.  "  He  can  make 
sailors  out  of  them  all  right,  if  he  has  a  few  good 
veterans  to  sprinkle  among  them,  and  a  few  weeks 
under  Blakely  will  teach  them  to  handle  anything, 
but  it  takes  years  to  make  a  good  shot.  Sometimes 
I  think  good  shots  are  like  good  poets.  They  are 
born,  not  made." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  the  old  man.  "  Let  me  tell 
you,  youngsters,  we  used  to  have  some  good  shots 
on  the  old  Boston" 

"You  did  that." 

"  But  I  suppose  you  surpass  us  in  that  too.     It 

187 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

was  your  wonderful  gunnery,  Jones,  that  knocked 
out  the  Frolic"  said  Commodore  Little.  "Well, 
there  doesn't  seem  much  chance  for  either  of  you 
to  get  out  of  this  blockade  yonder.  Blakely  thinks 
he  can  make  out,  as  he  probably  can  with  his  little 
ship,  and — er — in  short,  I  asked  him  if  he  would 
take  Ned  here  as  one  of  his  midshipmen,  provided 
you  let  him  go,  and  he  jumped  at  the  chance.  You 
know  he  and  Talcott,  who  was  lost  at  sea  ten  years 
ago — God  rest  him — really  found  this  boy,  and 
Blakely  has  been  very  much  interested  in  him  since. 
•I  want  the  lad  to  have  another  chance  in  active  ser- 
vice, and  although  I  couldn't  wish  him  anything 
better  than  to  sail  under  your  command,  Jones,  yet 
I  think  he  has  had  a  long  enough  tour  of  duty  in 
harbor.  Will  you  let  him  go  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  a  bit,"  returned  Captain  Jones, 
reluctantly,  "  but,  as  you  say,  there  seems  to  be 
little  chance  of  our  getting  out.  Blakely's  oppor- 
tunities are  greater,  and  if  he  wants  the  boy  he  may 
have  him." 

"And  Jack  Lang?"  asked  Commodore  Little, 
insinuatingly. 

"  Now,  you've  got  me  there  !  That  old  man  is 
the  best  seaman  on  the  ship.  Meaning  no  disre- 
spect to  the  commodore's  crew,  or  any  other  man's, 
I  don't  believe  there  is  a  better  seaman  in  the 
United  States  navy,  or  any  other  navy  on  earth." 

"Or  water,  you  mean,"  interposed  Decatur, 
lightly. 

188 


OLD   FRIENDS  ARE   MET   TOGETHER 

"That's  just  why  I  want  him,  Jones,"  said  Little, 
earnestly.  "  He'll  be  worth  twenty  men  to  Blakely 
with  his  green  crew.  I  know  you  don't  like  to  give 
up  a  man  like  that.  I  should  not,  myself,  but  I 
honestly  think,  my  lad,"  continued  the  old  man, 
leaning  forward  and  laying  his  hand  on  the  shoulder 
of  the  captain,  "  that  you  will  be  doing  your  coun- 
try a  great  service  by  letting  Blakely  have  this  man. 
I  know  Blakely.  The  country's  going  to  hear  from 
that  little  '  tar-heel ' — you  know  he  is  from  one  of 
the  Carolinas — if  he  gets  half  a  chance.  Give  him 
that  chance,  or  help  him  to  it.  You've  had  yours 
and  improved  it  gloriously.  Let  Lang  go,  won't 
you?" 

"  Give  him  up,  Jones,"  said  Decatur,  persuasively. 
"  Besides,  you  know  it  is  a  sort  of  poetic  idea  to  let 
the  young  midshipman  and  the  old  bo's'n's  mate 
leave  together.  It  was  Lang  who  nursed  him  when 
he  was  a  baby,  you  remember." 

"What  do  you  say  about  it,  Mr.  Boston?"  said 
Jones,  turning  to  the  lad  who  had  stood  trembling 
with  excitement  while  the  conversation  was  going 
on. 

"Oh,  Captain  Jones!"  he  cried,  "you  know  I'd 
never  wish  to  leave  you,  sir.  You  have  been  so 
good  to  me  and  helped  me  so  much.  If  the  Mace- 
donian could  only  get  out,  sir  !  " 

"  I  see,"  said  Jones,  smiling  kindly  at  the  lad. 
"Well,  at  your  age  I  think  I'd  have  given  up  every- 
thing to  have  a  chance  to  get  in  action.  You  shall 

189 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

go  to  Captain  Blakely,  my  boy,  but  I  want  you  to 
remember  that  all  your  training  as  a  seaman  you 
received  under  me  on  the  old  Wasp  and  the  Mace- 
donian here,  under  my  own  eye,  sir,  and  I  want  you 
to  represent  me  on  the  new  Wasp.  I  want  you  to 
show  your  new  messmates  what  sort  of  officers  we 
turn  out  here.  Hey,  Commodore  Decatur  ?  " 

"  Quite  right,  Jones.  The  boy  '11  do  you  credit, 
I'm  sure." 

"Thank  you,  thank  you  very  much,  gentlemen," 
said  old  Commodore  Little.  "  I  assure  you  I  appre- 
ciate this." 

"  And  how  about  Lang,  sir  ?  "  broke  in  Ned. 

"  Well,  I "  answered  Jones,  hesitatingly. 

"  Oh,  please  say  yes,  sir,"  urged  Ned. 

"All   right,"   returned   Jones   at   last,  "he  may 

go." 

"  Does  the  old  man  talk  as  much  as  ever  ?"  asked 
Little. 

"Almost,"  replied  Jones,  laughing,  "  but  we  let 
him  run  on  pretty  much  as  he  pleases  now.  He  is 
getting  pretty  old,  but  he's  the  primest  seaman,  the 
boldest  man,  and  the  best  petty  officer  that  I  ever 
saw." 

"  Let's  have  him  in  here,  will  you  ?"  asked  Little. 
"I'd  like  to  see  him  again." 

"  Certainly.  Orderly,  my  compliments  to  the 
officer  of  the  deck.  Have  him  send  the  chief  bo's'n's 
mate  to  my  cabin." 

In  a  few  moments  the  huge  bulk  of  the  old  man 

190 


OLD    FRIENDS   ARE    MET   TOGETHER 

appeared  in  the  doorway,  and  in  obedience  to  Cap- 
tain Jones's  command  he  came  rolling  into  the  cabin. 
He  stood  with  his  arms  folded,  that  little  trick  of 
position  so  familiar  to  the  three  officers  and  the 
midshipman,  and  appeared  in  no  way  abashed. 
True  to  his  habit,  he  began  the  conversation  himself. 

"Yer  sarvant,  Commodore  Decatur,  an'  yours, 
Cap'n  Jones,  w'ich  you  sent  fer  me,  yer  honor,  an' 
here  I  be.  It  bein'  one  of  the  fust  principles  w'ich 
has  actooated  my  life  to  obey  orders  without  talkin'. 
As  I  tells  the  youngsters  of  the  crew  as  answers 
back,  which  if  you  ain't  got  nuthin'  to  say,  don't 
take  up  your  sooperior  officers'  time  by  sayin'  it. 
Eh,  Master  Boston  ?  " 

"  Lang,"  said  Decatur,  laughing,  "  you're  as  hope- 
less as  ever ;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  you  ought  to 
know  this  gentleman,"  he  added,  pointing  to  Little, 
who  had  kept  in  the  background. 

"  In  course,  sir,  an'  I  does,  sir.  Me  an'  him  used 
ter  be  werry  intimate  together  over  Master  Ned — 
beggin'  yer  pardon,  Mr.  Boston.  If  it  hadn't 
been  fer  my  efforts,  w'ich  I  am  pleased  to  say  the 
cap'n  helped  me,  he  wouldn't  be  the  best  young 
officer  of  his  inches  an'  years  in  the  sarvice." 

"  You  old  rascal ! "  laughed  Commodore  Little. 

"Yes,  sir,"  cpntinued  the  old  sailor,  "not  only 
have  I  been  thrown  frequent  with  the  commodore, 
but  we've  lived  in  the  cabin  together ! " 

"  Yes,  by  gad  ! "  said  Little,  "  I  never  could  tell 
who  was  captain,  you  or  I." 

IQI 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  You  allus  was,  sir,"  said  Lang,  who  had  become 
a  highly  privileged  character,  and  knew  how  far  he 
could  go  ;  "  though  there  was  times  w'en,  if  I'd  been 
a  talkative  man,  I  mought  have  made  so  bold  as  ter 
give  ye  a  bit  of  advice." 

"  What,  what !     About  the  ship,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  but  about  the  eddication  an'  keer  of  a 
babby." 

"  Orderly,"  said  Captain  Jones,  amid  the  general 
laughter,  "  bid  my  steward  mix  a  stiff  can  of  grog, 
and  bring  it  here.  Gentlemen,  the  wine  is  at  your 
elbow.  Lang,  the  glass  of  grog  is  for  you." 

"  Thankee,  yer  honor,"  said  the  old  man.  "  I 
drinks  to  yer  honor's  health,  an'  to  yours,  an'  to 
yours,  an'  to  Master  Boston's,  an'  gentlemen  all," 
he  added,  bowing  to  each  one  of  them,  and  taking 
a  deep  draught,  "to  the  American  Navy" — another 
draught — "  an'  to  the  ship  we  loves  to  serve  on  " 
— another  draught — "  an' " 

"  Hold  on,  Lang !  Save  a  little  for  the  last 
toast." 

"  It's  well  ye  spoke  prompt,  sir,"  returned  the 
old  man,  holding  the  almost  empty  pannikin  in  the 
air. 

"  Drink  to  your  new  commander,  and  his  new 
ship,  Captain  Johnston  Blakely,  of  the  Wasp" 

"Be  ye  goin'  to  send  me  away,  sir?"  cried  old 
Lang,  in  alarm. 

"At  the  special  request  of  Commodore  Little, 
you  are  to  accompany  Midshipman  Boston  to  the 

192 


OLD   FRIENDS  ARE    MET   TOGETHER 

new  ship.  Captain  Blakely  has  a  green  crew,  a 
lot  of  backwoodsmen  and  farmers,  and  he  wants 
you  to  lick  them  into  good  seamen." 

"  I  hates  to  leave  ye,  Cap'n  Jones,"  said  Lang, 
after  deliberately  draining  the  cup.  "I've  know'd 
ye  sence  ye  was  a  boy,  an'  a  better  officer — beggin' 
yer  pardon,  an'  by  yer  leave,  gentlemen — I  never 
sailed  under.  Howsomever,  it's  only  right  an' 
proper  that  I  should  go  with  Master  Boston,  an'  as 
fer  them  haymakers,  I'll  lick  'em  inter  shape,  an' 
make  'em  larn  the  ropes,  an'  train  'em  inter  prime 
seamen  in  three  weeks,  with  the  cap'n's  consent, 
of  course,  w'ich  I  think,  young  Master  Ned'll  help 
me,  er  my  name's  not  Jack  Lang." 

"I'll  wager  you  will,"  said  Decatur,  "but  you'll 
have  an  awful  time  talking  against  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  green  Yankees,  Lang." 

"Trust  me  for  that,  yer  honor.  Fer  a  silent 
man,  I  hev  some  powers  of  speech,  w'ich,"  he  added 
audaciously,  "I've  picked  up  from  my  warious  com- 
manders in  nigh  onto  fifty  years  of  sea-sarvice." 

"  Well,  get  them  in  good  shape  for  the  Wasp" 
said  Jones.  "  Meanwhile,  get  your  dunnage  together. 
I'll  have  your  papers  made  out,  and  you  can  go  with 
Commodore  Little  at  once.  I  suppose  Blakely  will 
be  glad  to  get  hold  of  his  men  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  He  would,"  said  Commodore  Little,  "  and  I'm 
sure  he'll  appreciate  your  kindness." 

"Please,  sir,"  broke  out  Boston  again,  "may  we 
not  take  Billy  Bowline  ?  * 

193 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  If  I  mought,"  suggested  the  old  sailor,  pausing 
in  the  door,  "  make  so  bold,  I  think  it'd  be  a  good 
idea  to  let  me  have  Billy  as  a  sort  er  deppity. 
Him  an'  me's  been  associated  in  nussin',  w'ich  ye 
sees  the  result  before  ye,  an*  if  I've  got  to  break 
in  them  farmers  and  haymakers,  I'd  orter  hev  some 
un  like  Billy  ter  help  me." 

"Take  him  along,"  said  Jones;  "that  is,  if  he 
wants  to  go.  But  don't  ask  for  another  soul ! 
Now,  Commodore,  you've  taken  my  best  midship- 
man, my  most  experienced  petty  officer,  and  my 
smartest  seaman.  Is  there  anything  else  you 
want  ?  " 

"  Nothing  else,  I  think,  unless  another  glass  of 
this  prime  old  Madeira,  to  drink  your  health  in. 
Youngster,  go  and  pack  your  chest,  and  bid  fare- 
well to  your  messmates.  I'll  wager,"  said  Little,  as 
the  midshipman  scampered  out  of  the  cabin,  "  that 
you'll  be  proud  and  glad  that  you  let  those  men 
go  to  Blakely  after  all,  Jones." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    LITTLE    PRIDE   OF    THE    NAVY 

ON  the  night  of  May  i,  1814,  the  brand-new 
sloop-of-war  Wasp  lay  straining  at  her  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  A  few  days 
before  Ned  Boston,  accompanied  by  old  Lang  and 
Billy  Bowline,  had  joined  the  ship,  which  was  al- 
ready provisioned  and  supplied  for  a  long  cruise. 

Master  Commandant  Johnston  Blakely,  her  com- 
mander, whom  we  have  seen  as  a  midshipman  on 
the  Boston  years  before,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but 
had  been  brought  to  this  country  when  he  was 
about  sixteen  months  old.  His  dark  hair,  fair  com- 
plexion, and  blue  eyes,  with  the  slightest  touch  of 
an  inherited  brogue,  mellowed  and  softened  by  his 
southern  upbringing,  proclaimed  his  relationship  to 
the  Emerald  Isle — as  did  also  his  joyous  love  of  a 
good,  hard  fight.  He  had  commanded  the  little 
brig  Enterprise  earlier  in  the  war,  but  fate  had  not 
been  kind  to  him  and  he  had  enjoyed  little  oppor- 
tunity of  distinction  as  yet.  Those  who  knew  him, 
however,  predicted  great  successes  for  him,  and  it 
was  confidently  asserted  by  his  friends  and  fellow- 
officers  that  no  better  seaman  and  fighter  than  this 

195 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

young  Irish  "  tar-heel "  captain  was  to  be  found  in 
the  American  navy. 

He  had  superintended  the  construction  and  equip- 
ment, at  Newburyport,  Mass.,  of  the  new  Wasp, 
designed  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  captured  by 
the  Poic 'tiers.  He  had  personally  inspected  nearly 
every  stick  of  timber  that  had  gone  into  her,  and 
had  examined  with  jealous  scrutiny  all  her  masts, 
sails,  rigging,  and  guns.  Modifications  in  her  plans 
had  been  made  in  accordance  with  his  experience, 
and  although  he  was  not  her  designer  she  was  in  a 
measure  his  own  creation. 

He  had  been  given  practically  a  free  hand  in  the 
selection  of  his  officers.  His  first  lieutenant,  Reilly, 
and  his  third  lieutenant,  Baury,  had  seen  much  hard 
service,  and  as  midshipmen  on  the  great  Constitu- 
tion had  taken  brilliant  parts  in  the  actions  between 
that  famous  frigate  and  the  Guerrikre  and  \hejava. 
The  second  lieutenant,  Tillinghast,  had  been  aboard 
the  Enterprise  when  she  captured  the  Boxer. 
Every  commissioned  officer  had  seen  hard  service 
on  various  successful  ships,  and  even  the  midship- 
men, as  young  Boston,  for  instance,  were  not  with- 
out valuable  experience  in  actual  battle.  They 
were  prime  seamen  every  one  of  them. 

They  had  to  be  ;  for  owing  to  the  great  scarcity 
of  seamen,  as  has  been  stated,  and  the  brilliant  op- 
portunity for  making  money  afforded  by  privateer- 
ing, and  the  superior  demands  of  the  famous  frig- 
ates, Blakely  had  been  forced  to  man  his  ship 

196 


THE   LITTLE   PRIDE   OF   THE   NAVY 

largely  with  landsmen  from  New  England.  There 
was  not  a  man  of  foreign  birth  among  them.  From 
the  great  numbers  who  presented  themselves  for 
enlistment  he  had  personally  made  careful  selec- 
tion, laying  special  emphasis  upon  youth,  physical 
strength,  vigor,  and  activity,  and  ability  to  shoot 
straight.  Proficiency  in  the  use  of  the  rifle  he  well 
knew  could  be  developed  easily  into  proficiency  in 
the  use  of  the  great  gun.  Like  every  American 
captain  of  that  day  and  since,  he  placed  great  de- 
pendence on  rapid  and  accurate  gun-fire. 

The  captain's  age  was  thirty-three.  With  the 
exception  of  old  Jack  Lang  he  was  the  oldest  man 
on  the  ship !  The  average  age  of  his  crew,  which 
numbered  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  men  and 
boys,  was  only  twenty-three.  They  were  a  willing, 
hard,  receptive  lot,  and  being  leavened  by  a  few 
extremely  reliable  seamen  in  the  chief  petty  officer's 
positions,  and  commanded  by  such  able  and  brilliant 
young  officers  as  he  had  chosen,  he  expected  to 
round  them  into  shape  speedily  and  without  diffi- 
culty. 

While  he  was  blockaded  in  the  harbor  he  had 
exercised  them  continually,  going  over  and  over  the 
complex  evolutions  for  making  and  taking  in  sail, 
getting  under  way,  reefing  and  furling,  and  going 
to  quarters,  until  they  knew  those  duties  and  per- 
formed the  evolutions  like  veterans.  Of  course,  at 
anchor  they  could  learn  nothing  about  manoeu- 
vring in  a  sea  way,  such  as  tacking,  wearing,  etc.,  but 

197 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

with  a  good  basic  knowledge  of  ropes,  sails,  and 
spars  that  would  come  in  time. 

One  thing  must  be  considered  in  estimating 
the  worth  of  this  remarkable  crew,  and  that  is 
the  character  of  the  captain.  The  long-legged, 
sinewy,  gaunt,  nasal-twanged  New  Englanders  fairly 
adored  him.  He  had  that  quality — call  it  magnet- 
ism, call  it  what  you  will — in  his  genial  personality 
that  attracts  and  holds  men.  They  would  do  any- 
thing for  him.  Some  of  the  older  officers  who  had 
inspected  the  ship,  as  Commodores  Hull  and  Bain- 
bridge,  predicted  that  in  a  short  time — that  is,  af- 
ter a  month's  hard  cruising — Blakely  would  have  a 
crew  which  could  be  matched  with  the  best  of  them. 

The  average  native  intelligence  of  the  Wasp's 
men  was  much  higher  than  that  of  even  a  first-class 
crew  of  veteran  men-o'-war's  men.  Intellectually, 
or,  perhaps,  better,  by  dint  of  their  education,  most 
of  them  could  have  looked  down  on  their  chief 
boatswain's  mate ;  but  his  varied  experience,  his 
wide  knowledge  of  the  sea  and  ships,  his  thorough 
mastery  of  his  profession,  as  well  as  his  strength 
and  his  good-humor,  made  him  at  once  looked  up  to 
and  respected.  He  became  as  great  a  favorite  on 
the  forecastle  as  Captain  Blakely  was  on  the  quar- 
ter-deck. 

The  Wasp  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ships 
afloat.  Sailor-men  raved  over  her  lines.  She  was 
built  for  speed,  and  she  looked  to  possess  it,  yet  her 

designers  had  not  sacrificed   strength  or  stability. 

198 


THE   LITTLE   PRIDE   OF   THE   NAVY 

Her  spars  were  unusually  lofty  and  heavy  for  a  ship 
of  her  size,  five  hundred  and  nine  tons,  giving  her  a 
great  spread  of  canvas.  Her  armament  consisted 
of  twenty  short  thirty-two-pound  carronades,  for 
close-action,  and  two  long  twelve-pounders,  for 
chasing  and  playing  at  long-bowls.  No  expense 
had  been  spared  in  outfitting  her.  Her  supply  of 
small-arms  was  liberal,  and  of  the  best  quality,  and 
she  represented  the  last  and  finest  development  of 
the  naval  architecture  of  her  day. 

Accustomed,  as  he  had  been,  to  the  great  frigates 
Macedonian  and  United  States,  little  Boston's  heart 
beat  with  pride  when  he  found  himself  one  of  the 
trusted  midshipmen  of  this  crack  ship.  He  vowed 
that  he  would  let  no  opportunity  for  serving  his 
country  and  distinguishing  himself  pass  him  by, 
and  he  thanked  his  kind  guardian,  old  Commodore 
Little,  when  he  bade  him  good-by,  for  having  se- 
cured his  appointment  to  so  promising  a  cruiser. 

The  midshipmen's  mess  contained  a  number  of 
agreeable  young  fellows,  with  some  of  whom  he 
soon  became  on  very  congenial  terms.  Again  he 
was  almost  the  youngest  reefer  on  the  ship,  but  his 
experience,  especially  in  the  Wasp-Frolic  fight,  and 
his  medal,  which  he  wore  pinned  on  his  breast  on 
occasions  of  ceremony,  entitled  him  to  consideration 
at  the  hands  of  the  oldsters,  some  of  whom  had  been 
long  in  the  service  without  participating  in  a  single 
hard  fight. 

The  captain,  who  was  a  gentleman,  every  inch  of 

199 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

him,  and  much  more  kindly  and  considerate  in  his 
ideas  than  the  ordinary  run  of  officers,  even  the  best 
of  them,  discouraged  any  attempt  at  the  brutal  haz- 
ing so  often  prevalent,  and  though,  of  course,  there 
was  more  or  less  of  it  in  the  steerage  of  the  Wasp, 
yet  it  was  not  nearly  so  evident  as  on  some  other 
ships. 

Where  a  dozen  boys,  whose  training  is  in  arms, 
are  brought  together  in  the  constricted  area  of  a 
five-hundred-ton  ship-of-war,  there  is  bound  to  be 
more  or  less  friction,  but  Blakely,  and  his  young 
officers,  taking  their  cue  from  him,  were  wise  enough 
not  to  attempt  the  impossible,  and  the  boyish  rows 
that  ensued  in  the  steerage  were  not  serious,  and 
engendered  no  lasting  rancors,  as  was  often  the  case 
in  ships-of-war  of  that  day.  Besides  Blakely  calcu- 
lated to  give  them  so  much  to  do  in  their  legitimate 
work  that  their  ebullient  spirits  would  be  fully 
occupied  in  fighting  the  enemies  of  their  country. 

Boston  had  sobered  greatly  in  the  year  that  had 
passed.  The  responsibilities  of  command  had  de- 
veloped him.  He  no  longer  gave  way  to  tears  in 
occasions  of  emergency.  He  was  taller  and  stronger, 
too,  although  still  somewhat  undersized,  and  was 
burning  with  zeal  and  ambition  to  make  a  name  for 
himself  in  his  chosen  profession. 

Since  he  had  grown  older  he  had  thought  often 
and  often,  in  the  loneliness  of  the  long  night 
watches,  about  the  story  of  how  he  was  found  on  the 
sea  by  the  French  ship  and  of  his  dead  mother,  too. 

200 


THE   LITTLE   PRIDE   OF   THE   NAVY 

When  no  one  observed  him  he  had  studied  the  fair 
face  pictured  in  the  locket  he  always  wore,  and 
he  had  wondered  and  dreamed. 

Sometimes  aloft,  with  the  ship  beneath  him,  the 
sky  above  him,  he  had  rocked  to  and  fro,  as  she 
pitched  and  tossed  in  some  lazy  swell,  and  longed 
and  prayed  and  hoped  that  he  might  sometime  find 
out  who  he  was,  what  his  name  was,  what  those 
three  letters  in  the  locket,  "  N.  E.  D.,"  stood  for. 
Had  he  a  father,  or  was  he  indeed  alone  ? 

Well,  if  he  never  found  out,  at  least  he  resolved 
to  make  his  assumed  name  known  and  respected, 
and  that  was  a  great  object  for  his  ambition. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

BREAKING   THE   BLOCKADE 

OUTSIDE  the  mouth  of  Portsmouth  harbor  two 
big  English  frigates  and  a  large  sloop-of-war  were 
closely  blockading.  For  the  Wasp  to  attempt  to  sail 
out  in  open  day  would  be  to  invite  her  destruction. 
After  all  their  preparations  had  been  made,  the 
men  on  the  Wasp  waited  with  such  impatience  as 
can  well  be  conceived  for  a  cloudy  night  and  an  off- 
shore gale  in  order  to  get  to  sea.  This  fortunate 
combination  of  weather  conditions  had  come  on  the 
first  of  May,  1814. 

The  wind  had  been  blowing  strongly  all  that  day 
down  the  harbor,  and  the  ships  outside,  feeling 
the  full  force  of  it,  could  be  seen  beating  to  and  fro 
under  short  canvas,  striving  to  cover  the  entrance, 
but  as  the  nigrrt  fell  dark  and  gloomy,  the  sky 
heavily  overcast,  the  gale  increasing,  they  were 
finally  compelled  to  edge  away,  or  they  were  driven 
to  leeward  by  the  violence  of  the  tempest,  leaving 
the  way  to  escape  comparatively  open.  Impatiently 
waiting  until  two  bells  in  the  first  night  watch,  or 
about  nine  o'clock,  to  make  sure  that  the  wind 
would  hold  steady,  and  deciding  at  last  that  it  gave 
promise  of  blowing  hard  all  night,  and  was  as  black 

202 


BREAKING   THE   BLOCKADE 

as  pitch  overhead,  Blakely  determined  to  weigh 
anchor  and  make  a  run  for  it. 

The  watch  had  been  called,  of  course,  but  every- 
body had  been  persuaded  that  the  captain  would  go 
out  that  night  and  no  one  had  turned  in.  In  fact, 
the  tacit  permission  which  had  been  given  to  every- 
one to  stay  on  deck  indicated  too  plainly  the  cap- 
tain's intention.  They  were  all  ready,  therefore, 
when  the  executive  officer,  Reilly,  summoned  Lang 
to  the  mast  and  bade  him  call  all  hands  to  get  up 
anchor.  There  was  a  note  of  triumph  in  the  deep 
voice  of  the  old  boatswain's  mate  as  he  rolled  his 
call  along  the  decks  that  sent  a  strange  thrill  into 
the  hearts  of  the  green  hands  among  the  crew. 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Reilly,"  said  the  captain,  "  that 
we'll  go  out  under  our  three  topsails  and  a  jib." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir." 

"  After  we  clear  yon  headland,  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  reef  down,  but  we'll  try  it  first  so.  Did  you 
notice  what  sail  the  blockaders  carried?" 

"When  I  !?.st  saw  them,  sir,  they  had  double 
reefs  on  the  fore  and  maintops'ls,  with  the  mizzen- 
tops'l  apparently  close  reefed,  and  a  stays'l." 

"  Well,  everything's  new  and  of  the  best  aboard 
of  us,  and  we  can  stand  a  little  stretching.  At  any 
rate,  we  must  try  it.  Speed  to-night  is  the  most 
important  requisite.  You  would  better  cast  to 
port,  sir,  and  the  wind  being  fair  for  departure,  we 
can  weather  the  point  without  bracing  up.  By  the 
way,  I  want  every  lantern  on  the  ship  extinguished ; 


IN    THE   WASP'S   NEST 

don't  show  a  light  of  any  kind.  After  we  get  fairly 
outside  send  the  men  to  quarters,  too.  Then  cast 
loose  and  provide.  If  we  come  upon  the  enemy 
suddenly,  a  lucky  broadside  may  save  us.  Above 
all,  sir,  let  every  man  keep  silent  at  his  station." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  young  lieutenant, 
needfully. 

"  Not  that  anyone  could  be  heard  in  this  howl- 
ing gale,"  continued  the  captain,  "  but  'tis  just  as 
well  they  should  begin  right,  whatever  the  weather." 

After  this  little  colloquy  had  taken  place,  the 
orders  were  given,  the  men  shipped  the  capstan 
bars  and  manned  them.  The  rapid  clicking  of  the 
pawls  mingling  with  the  tramp  of  their  feet  upon 
the  deck  indicated  the  eagerness  with  which  they 
hove  the  ship  forward  until  the  anchor  was  up  and 
down.  The  designated  sail  was  then  made,  the 
braces  manned,  the  anchor  broken  from  the  ground 
with  a  mighty  heave,  and  while  it  was  being  catted 
and  fished  the  ship  swung  to  port. 

As  the  sails  caught  the  fierce  wind  she  took  a 
bone  in  her  teeth,  and,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  lay 
over  to  port  almost  until  the  lee  channels  dragged, 
and  so  rushed  for  the  open  sea.  The  black  water 
was  dashed  into  milky  whiteness  by  her  sharp  prow, 
and  thrown  away  on  either  ^ide  of  her  bows  in 
broad  sheets  of  spray  swirling  under  her  counters 
and  following  in  a  turbulent  wake  astern. 

It  was  easy  enough  going  in  the  landlocked 
harbor,  and  the  force  of  the  fierce  gale  was  so  tem- 


BREAKING   THE    BLOCKADE 

pered  by  the  shore  as  not  to  render  the  ship  uneasy, 
but  as  she  slipped  past  the  point  and  got  into  the 
open  ocean  beyond  she  felt  the  full  force  of  the 
storm  and  with  increased  speed  dashed  ahead,  pitch- 
ing and  heaving  tremendously. 

Blakely  stood  on  the  weather  side  of  the  quarter- 
deck, staring  up  through  the  blackness  at  the  cloud 
of  canvas  showing  dimly  above  his  head.  The 
masts  were  creaking  and  groaning  and  buckling  as 
the  ship  plunged  along.  The  weather  shrouds 
stood  out  taut  and  rigid  as  bars  of  steel.  The  wind 
was  stringing  them  like  a  harp.  The  pace  of  the 
ship  was  fearful.  It  was  the  first  opportunity  they 
had  enjoyed  for  trying  her  speed,  and  she  more  than 
fulfilled  their  expectations.  If  she  could  sail  like 
that  in  a  fresh  breeze  or  a  light  wind  she  would  be 
a  wonder. 

"  By  Jove  ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  exultantly, 
"she  is  a  flyer  and  no  mistake.  Eh,  Mr.  Reilly?" 

"Yes,  sir.  If  she  goes  like  this  in  lighter 
weather,  she'll  show  her  heels  to  everything  on  the 
ocean." 

"  I  think  so.  And  as  I  intend  to  go  in  harm's 
way,  it's  a  comfort  to  have  something  fast  under  us. 
What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  Can  we  carry  those  top- 
sails in  this  wind  ?  " 

Reilly  leaned  far  over  to  windward  and  threw  a 
long  look  aloft. 

"  It's  a  fearful  strain,  sir." 

"  You're  right,  Reilly,"  said  Blakely.     Then  after 

205 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

a  moment  or  two  he  added  :  "  Double  reef  the 
tops'ls,  sir.  Get  the  stays'l  on  her  instead  of  the 
jib.  Bear  a  hand  about  it,  too.  I'd  rather  lose  an 
arm  than  a  mast  now.  It's  a  wild  night  for  some 
of  our  farmers  to  go  aloft,"  he  soliloquized,  as  Reilly 
promptly  gave  the  order.  "  But  the  quicker  they 
are  at  it,  the  sooner  they'll  learn." 

Although  many  of  the  green  crew  were  begin- 
ning to  feel  qualmish  at  the  violence  of  the  motion 
of  the  ship,  they  had  not  been  suffering  long 
enough  to  have  given  up  entirely,  and  they  sprang 
into  the  rigging  with  alacrity.  Led  by  some  of  the 
able  seamen  like  Billy  Bowline,  who  had  his  old 
post  as  captain  of  the  foretop,  they  soon  succeeded 
in  getting  the  sails  reefed  down. 

The  diminished  canvas  greatly  relieved  the  pitch- 
ing and  rolling  of  the  ship,  and  did  not  sensibly 
decrease  her  speed.  As  she  tore  through  the  black- 
ness Blakely  judged  that  she  might  be  approach- 
ing the  proximity  of  the  blockading  ships.  That 
is,  if  they  still  maintained  their  endeavor  to  beat  up 
toward  the  shore  against  the  gale,  instead  of  run- 
ning for  it. 

He  had  watched  the  blockading  squadron  many 
times  during  the  fitting  of  the  ship.  He  knew  they 
were  handled  by  prime  seamen,  and  he  judged  they 
would  not  give  up  the  blockade  so  long  as  it  was 
possible  to  maintain  it.  Therefore,  he  sent  the  men 
to  their  quarters  at  the  batteries,  stationed  the  most 

experienced  and  keenest-eyed  on  the  lookout,  and 

206 


BREAKING   THE    BLOCKADE 

finally  himself  went  forward  to  the  top-gallant 
forecastle  and  stood  by  the  weather-rail,  peering 
over  the  cathead. 

The  little  ship  was  filled  with  subdued  but  intense 
excitement.  A  few  hours  ago  her  company  had 
been  a  peaceful  lot  of  farmers,  hunters,  mechanics, 
playing  at  being  sailors,  in  the  quiet  waters  of 
the  harbor.  Now,  they  were  a  body  of  sea-mariners, 
clustered  around  the  guns,  which  had  been  loaded 
and  primed  for  action.  The  thought  thrilled  them 
to  the  very  heart.  And  on  this  black  night  they 
realized  that  they  were  free  at  last,  rushing  madly 
seaward  before  a  sweeping  northwest  gale  with  the 
open  ocean  before  them,  and  possibly  a  huge,  over- 
whelming enemy  lying  in  their  path.  They  were 
too  filled  by  their  strange  emotions  to  realize  that 
in  a  short  time  they  would  be  the  sickest  lot  of 
men  that  ever  tried  to  sail  or  fight  a  ship. 

Boston  occupied  his  old  position  as  midshipman 
of  the  forecastle.  Consequently,  he  stood  by  the 
captain's  side.  Aft,  Mr.  Carr,  the  sailing  master, 
was  stationed  to  watch  the  helm,  Mr.  Reilly  had 
charge  of  the  batteries,  with  Mr.  Tillinghast  and 
Mr.  Baury  to  second  him.  A  line  of  midshipmen 
stood  ready  to  pass  the  captain's  orders,  should  he 
give  any  to  Mr.  Carr  and  the  men  at  the  wheel. 
The  braces  were  led  along  the  decks,  with  the  able 
seamen  to  supervise  each  one  of  them,  so  that  the 
yards  could  be  promptly  swung  in  any  direction. 

The  ship  was  a  picture  of   instant   preparation. 

207 


IN    THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Not  a  sound  of  any  sort  was  made  by  a  human 
being  on  her.  The  wind  was  roaring  through  the 
top-hamper  tremendously,  and  the  ship  creaked  and 
groaned  as  she  labored  in  the  heavy  sea.  Captain 
Blakely  leaned  over  the  weather  cathead,  peering 
ahead  as  if  he  could  pierce  the  Egyptian  darkness 
surrounding  them  by  the  very  eagerness  of  his  gaze. 
Boston,  who  was  one  of  the  keenest-eyed  youngsters 
on  the  ship,  suddenly  ran  out  between  the  knight- 
heads  and  stood  on  the  bowsprit  cap,  clinging  to 
the  topmast  stay  and  peering  into  the  night. 

"Sir,"  he  cried  instantly.  "Yonder!  A  light! 
A  ship!" 

The  boy  spoke  in  a  low,  fierce  tone,  audible  only 
to  his  commanding  officer. 

"Where  away?"  cried  Blakely,  instantly  alert. 

"  There,  sir,  to  starboard !  Coming  right  in  our 
way!" 

There,  ahead  of  them,  on  such  a  course  that  she 
must  inevitably  cross  their  path,  could  be  seen  the 
huge,  black  bulk  of  a  ship,  looming  preternaturally 
large  in  the  darkness,  a  faint  light  showing  forward 
on  her,  and  the  sea  breaking  into  gray  whiteness 
on  her  water-line. 

"Stand  by  the  port  battery!"  the  captain  called 
out  instantly,  turning  aft  as  he  spoke.  "But  keep 
all  fast  untill  I  give  the  order." 

The  English  frigate  was  braced  sharp  up  on  the 
port  tack,  the  American  sloop  going  free  with  the 
wind  on  the  port  quarter.  Blakely  quickly  deter- 

308 


BREAKING  THE   BLOCKADE 

mined  to  stand  on  as  he  was,  until  he  was  close 
aboard  the  enemy,  then  up  with  her  helm,  throw  the 
Wasp  off  a  couple  of  points,  and  slip  by  her,  giving 
her  a  broadside  with  his  port  battery  as  he  did  so. 
The  Wasp  was  near  enough  now.  The  English 
had  at  last  caught  sight  of  them.  They  were 
moving. 

"  Hands  by  the  lee  fore-braces  ! "  he  shouted,  sud- 
denly. "  Get  a  hold  of  this  weather  stays'l  sheet, 
flatten  it  aft,  and  bear  the  sail  out  to  windward  ! "  he 
cried  to  the  forecastle  men. 

He  raised  his  deep,  powerful  voice  to  a  perfect 
shout  as  he  delivered  his  orders,  concealment  no 
longer  being  any  object.  Everything  in  the  port 
battery  was  in  readiness.  The  gun-captains  taut- 
ened the  lock-strings,  the  Wasp  being  one  of  the 
few  ships  of  that  day  whose  guns  were  fitted  with 
gun-locks.  Little  groups  of  men  clustered  around 
the  staysail  sheets  and  the  fore-braces.  The  two 
ships  were  close  aboard  now.  The  English  ship 
was  full  of  excitement  at  last.  Wild,  incoherent 
cries  came  up  faintly  against  the  fierce  wind,  unin- 
telligible, yet  indicative  of  surprise  and  alarm.  It 
was  full  time — the  Wasp  was  right  abeam  and  com- 
ing hard  and  straight  for  the  frigate.  Was  the 
stranger  about  to  run  them  down  ?  thought  the 
English  officers. 

"  Up  with  your  helm  !  Hard  up!"  roared  Blakely. 
"Brace  sharp  up  forward!  Haul  over  the  head- 
sheets.  Steady !  Stand  by  the  battery  !  Fire  ! " 

209 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

The  handy  Wasp  wore  round  on  her  heel  like 
a  top.  The  blackness  of  the  night  was  illuminated 
for  an  instant  by  a  series  of  vivid  flashes,  followed 
by  a  cloud  of  smoke,  blown  away  instantly  by  the 
rushing  wind,  and  a  deep  roar,  which  died  out 
suddenly  under  the  scream  of  the  tempest. 

At  close  range  the  smashing  bolts  from  the  thirty- 
two  pounders  and  the  shot  from  the  long  twelves 
on  the  forecastle  played  havoc  with  the  English  ship. 
The  Wasp  rushed  by  like  a  spirit  of  the  storm.  In 
the  noise  and  confusion,  however,  Blakely  heard  the 
crash  of  falling  spars  and  the  cries  of  excited  men. 
The  tremendous  strain  upon  the  masts  and  rigging  of 
the  English  frigate  had  given  a  double  value  to 
the  broadside  of  the  Wasp.  Every  shot  had  told. 
Shrouds  and  stays  were  cut,  the  main  topmast  of 
the  frigate  had  gone  over  the  side,  and  the  English 
captain,  to  save  his  ship  from  being  a  total  wreck, 
had  been  forced  to  put  her  before  the  wind  at  once. 

In  a  few  moments  the  Wasp  had  left  the  cripple 
out  of  sight  in  the  heaving  sea.  She  had  met  her 
huge  antagonist,  struck  her  one  tremendous  blow, 
and  vanished.  Were  it  not  for  the  wreck  of  the 
main  topmast,  for  the  gaping  rents  in  the  side, 
and  for  two  or  three  groaning,  wounded  men  upon 
the  deck,  and  some  who  would  never  groan  again, 
the  English  captain  would  almost  have  believed  it  a 
dream. 

"  We've  settled  that  ship,"  said  Blakely,  grimly, 
yet  complacently.  "  Mr.  Boston,  you  saw  her  first. 

•  2IO 


BREAKING  THE   BLOCKADE 

You  will  dine  with  me  to-morrow  in  my  cabin. 
You  have  done  well,  sir.  Mr.  Reilly,  tell  the  men 
that  I'm  proud  of  them.  I  never  saw  anything 
more  handsomely  done.  It  augurs  well  for  the  suc- 
cess of  our  cruise.  Let  them  splice  the  main  brace 
with  a  good  round  tot  of  grog  on  this  black  night, 
and  keep  both  watches  on  deck,  sir,  but  let  them  lie 
down  by  the  guns.  We  may  run  across  another 
one." 

Some  of  the  men  who  had  heard  this  communi- 
cation raised  a  cheer. 

"  Silence ! "  roared  the  captain,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder.  "  Didn't  you  hear  my  order  ?  We  may 
be  right  on  top  of  another  ship.  Not  another 
sound,  or  I'll  revoke  the  order  about  the  grog  !" 

The  Wasp,  however,  met  no  other  of  the  block- 
aders.  Morning  broke  bright  and  sunny.  The 
eager  lookouts  swept  the  seas,  and  found  not  a  sail 
in  sight.  The  gale  had  abated  somewhat,  though 
it  was  still  blowing  fresh.  Blakely  shook  the  reefs 
out  of  the  topsails,  and  then  clapped  on  the  top- 
gallant sails.  The  watch  was  called  and  set,  and 
the  great  cruise  of  the  Wasp  was  begun. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

"  TO   SINK,    BURN,    AND   DESTROY  ! " 

THE  first  few  days  out  had  found  about  half 
the  crew  incapacitated  by  sea-sickness.  Most  of 
them  had  never  been  on  blue  water  before.  The 
captain,  however,  had  insisted  upon  applying  the 
very  best  remedy  for  that  dire  malady.  He  made 
them  work  like  horses.  Of  course,  they  had  not 
yet  gained  that  instinctive  ability  to  do  the  right 
thing  in  the  critical  moment  without  order  or  sug- 
gestion, which  is  the  final  mark  of  a  good  sailor, 
but  they  were  learning  with  remarkable  swiftness. 
They  were  young,  ambitious,  fairly  well  educated, 
and  their  progress  was  wonderful. 

Fortunately,  ample  time  was  allowed  them  for 
mastering  the  routine  duties  of  a  sailor's  life,  for 
they  encountered  no  ships  of  the  enemy.  None  of 
any  sort,  in  fact  Some  of  the  few  old  salts  growled 
at  the  situation.  Your  true  old  salt  would  not  be 
happy  unless  he  were  growling  at  someone  or  some- 
thing. Everybody  expected  it,  and  nobody  minded. 
The  officers,  indeed,  rather  rejoiced  at  it,  for  it  gave 
them  time  to  get  the  crew  into  good,  first-class  fighting 
and  sailing  shape.  They  had  plenty  of  hard  weather 
going  over,  which  gave  them  good  practice.  All 


213 


"TO   SINK,  BURN,  AND   DESTROY!" 

hands  grew  enthusiastic  over  the  qualities  of  the 
ship,  too ;  no  more  speedy,  handier  vessel  in  all 
sorts  of  weather  could  be  desired  than  the  taut  little 
sloop-of-war  that  carried  them  over  the  ocean. 

Blakely  possessed  his  soul  in  patience,  and  headed 
the  vessel  straight  for  the  English  Channel,  where 
he  felt  sure  they  would  have  plenty  to  do,  as  it  was 
the  most  frequented  water  on  the  globe.  War  was 
waged  in  that  day  very  mercilessly,  and  the  young 
captain  had  orders  to  sink,  burn,  and  destroy  what- 
soever he  came  across,  even  private  property,  be- 
longing to  the  enemy.  Just  what  the  enemy  were 
striving  to  do  on  our  coast,  so  was  he  to  strive  to  do 
on  theirs. 

Perhaps,  after  all,  such  orders  were  merciful  in 
the  end,  for  in  no  way  could  the  horrors  of  war  and 
the  vast  drain  upon  the  financial  resources  of  Great 
Britain  be  carried  home  to  the  great  mass  of  the 
English  people  so  effectively,  as  by  destroying  their 
property,  breaking  up  their  commerce,  and  ruining 
their  trade.  You  touch  a  man's  pocket,  and  he  re- 
sponds instantly.  It's  dollars  or  pounds,  gold  or 
silver,  that  make  war,  and  that  stop  it,  too. 

Save  for  the  supreme  test  of  action  with  another 
ship-of-war,  after  they  had  been  some  weeks  at  sea, 
the  farmers  on  the  Wasp  counted  themselves  vet- 
erans. All  things  considered,  they  had  made  a 
fairly  quick  run  across  the  ocean,  having  overhauled 
nothing  on  the  way  except  a  couple  of  American 
privateers  and  a  Yankee  whaler,  but  when  they  had 

313 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

arrived  off  the  mouth  of  the  English  Channel  their 
luck  had  changed,  and  in  pursuance  of  those  cruel 
orders  referred  to,  under  which  ships  of  that  day 
went  to  sea,  and  under  which  they  practically  go  to 
sea  to-day,  they  began  their  career  of  methodical 
destruction. 

It  had  been  great  fun,  so  the  youngsters  in  the 
steerage  and  the  green  hands  among  the  crew  had 
thought  when  they  first  tried  it,  to  sight  a  vessel 
hull  down  on  the  distant  horizon,  to  bear  away  in 
chase  of  it,  to  keep  it  in  sight  through  a  long  sum- 
mer day,  gradually  overhauling  it,  in  spite  of  its 
frantic  efforts  to  escape,  and  finally  to  bring  it  to 
with  a  shot  across  the  bow. 

Then  there  would  be  a  hasty  examination  to 
ascertain  its  value,  and  decide  whether  it  would 
be  best  to  man  it  and  send  it  in  to  be  condemned 
and  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  captors,  or  to  do 
something  else  with  it.  All  this  was  very  amusing, 
but  when  it  came  to  taking  poor,  peaceable  mer- 
chant captains  and  sailors,  confining  them  in  the 
hold  of  the  Wasp,  while  the  prize  was  either  scuttled 
or  burned,  that  was  another  thing. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  duty  after  all,  and  they 
hated  it.  Yet  they  did  it,  since  they  had  to,  with  a 
thoroughness  which  bespoke  their  efficiency.  And 
there  were  some  bitter  memories  among  the  New 
Englanders,  of  ravaged  sea  coasts,  of  American 
ships  burned  and  destroyed  in  the  same  way,  to  stir 

them  on.     No  one  enjoyed  it  at  first,  yet,  because  it 

214 


"TO   SINK,  BURN,  AND   DESTROY!" 

had  to  be  done,  they  went  at  it  grimly,  and  did  it 
with  a  conscientious  obedience  to  orders. 

Glorious  fires  the  ships  made,  too — or  they  would 
have  been  glorious  if  they  had  not  belonged  to  some 
poor  devil  of  a  prisoner  in  despair  in  the  hold  below 
— and  if  it  happened  to  be  night-time,  as  was  often 
the  case,  before  they  were  ready  to  apply  the  torch, 
the  sea  was  lighted  for  miles  around  with  the  lurid 
glare  of  a  burning  ship.  Then  the  Wasp  would 
draw  off  to  a  safe  distance  and  wait,  like  a  tiger  in 
his  lair,  ready  to  strike  any  ship  of  the  enemy,  which, 
attracted  by  the  fire — most  dangerous  and  deadliest 
of  all  accidents  of  the  sea — would  come  rushing 
down,  perhaps,  thinking  to  offer  assistance,  and  be 
taken  herself.  It  was  ghastly,  beastly,  brutal  work ; 
but  it  was  war,  and  it  was  orders,  and  it  had  to  be. 

That  kind  of  duty  sickened  little  Boston.  He 
was  of  a  fine,  generous,  high-strung  nature,  with 
something  very  noble  in  his  soul,  and  he  never  got 
used  to  that  phase  of  war.  It  was  not  a  duty  that 
any  one  relished,  but  it  had  to  be  performed  in 
retaliation.  The  English  ships  were  doing  it  on 
the  American  coasts  wherever  and  whenever  they 
could.  It  was  merely  an  incident  in  the  terrible 
game  of  war.  After  a  while  they  actually  got 
callous  to  it.  Some  of  them  began  to  like  it,  some 
in  the  end  took  actual  joy  in  it ;  the  joy  the  wanton 
hunter  finds  in  slaughter,  they  found  in  destruction. 

Sometimes  the  ship  to  be  destroyed  represented 
the  savings  of  a  man's  life-time  ;  sometimes  it  carried 

215 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

everything  that  her  captain  owned  in  the  world,  and 
he  had  nothing  to  do  with,  and  no  interest  in,  the 
war.  Those  weather-beaten  old  mariners  sometimes 
stood  on  the  deck  of  the  Wasp  and  watched  their 
ships  go  up  in  smoke  and  flame,  unable  to  choke 
back  the  unwonted  tears  that  filled  their  eyes.  It 
was  a  cruel  practice,  and  by  it  was  borne  into  the 
mind  of  our  hero  that  war  means  cruelty  and  un- 
kindness  in  every  way,  as  well  as  glory  and  courage; 
and  that  the  ruin  and  the  destruction  of  the  guilty 
and  innocent  alike  follow  in  its  path. 

Sometimes,  when  it  seemed  proper  to  the  captain, 
instead  of  burning  the  prizes,  they  scuttled  them. 
That  is,  they  started  planks  beneath  the  water-line, 
or  bored  holes  in  the  timber,  and  then  stood  by  and 
watched  the  unfortunate  vessels  sink  beneath  the 
waters.  It  was  not  so  romantic  a  performance,  yet 
there  was  a  strange,  melancholy  interest  in  watching 
the  rapid  settling  of  a  once  buoyant  bark  ;  in  hang- 
ing expectantly  over  the  rail  of  the  Wasp,  tossing 
to  and  fro  in  the  long  swells,  waiting  for  that  last 
shivering  plunge  which  marked  the  end  of  a  once 
stanch  and  gallant  vessel. 

Sometimes  the  merchant-ships  were  armed,  and 
they  made  a  faint  show  of  resistance,  which  was 
usually  stopped  by  a  well-aimed  shot  from  the 
Wasp.  One  vessel,  after  they  had  taken  off  its 
crew  and  emptied  it  of  its  portable  contents  of  value, 
Captain  Blakely  made  a  target  of.  Under  easy 

canvas  the  Wasp  sailed  deliberately  about  her,  try- 

216 


"TO   SINK,  BURN,  AND   DESTROY!" 

ing  her  broadsides  from  the  different  positions  at 
good  fighting  ranges.  She  was  battered  to  pieces 
in  fifteen  minutes  !  The  gun  practice  was  remark- 
able. Afterward  they  set  fire  to  her. 

Sometimes  they  chased  ships  of  the  enemy  which 
succeeded  in  escaping  from  them,  and  often  they 
overhauled  neutral  vessels,  which,  of  course,  were 
allowed  to  go  free.  Boston  always  felt  a  secret  joy, 
which  he  would  not  have  told  to  any  one  for  his  life, 
when  one  of  the  hunted  merchantmen  succeeded  in 
getting  away.  That  was  not  often,  however,  but  it 
occurred  enough  times  to  cause  the  news  of  the 
arrival  in  the  channel  of  a  fast  and  formidable 
American  sloop-of-war  to  be  circulated  everywhere, 
especially  among  shipping  circles.  The  rate  of  in- 
surance was  raised  at  once,  and  vessels  waited  for 
convoys  of  larger  ships,  before  venturing  to  leave 
port.  Meanwhile  a  number  of  English  ships  and 
frigates  were  sent  to  the  channel  with  orders  to 
look  out  for  the  saucy  stranger. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

CLEARING   SHIP    FOR   ACTION 

AFTER  they  had  been  nearly  two  months  at  sea, 
having  destroyed  many  valuable  merchant-ships  and 
privateers  of  the  English,  and  as  provisions  and 
water  were  running  low  and  supplies  getting  short, 
Captain  Blakely  determined  to  run  into  L'Orient, 
in  France,  in  order  to  supply  his  deficiencies  in  that 
neutral  port.  They  had  been  cruising  latterly  in 
St.  George's  Channel,  between  Ireland  and  Eng- 
land, with  some  little  success,  when  they  squared  to 
southward  to  make  L'Orient.  After  they  had  passed 
the  Land's  End,  Captain  Blakely  determined  to  have 
another  look  in  the  English  Channel  before  he  made 
his  harbor,  in  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  one  of  the 
cruisers  which,  he  had  learned  from  one  of  his  prison- 
ers, were  on  the  lookout  for  him.  But  he  was  blown 
to  the  westward  by  strong  breezes  for  several  days, 
to  the  great  disappointment  of  everyone,  which,  as 
it  happened,  turned  out  after  all  to  their  great  ad- 
vantage. 

From  the  captain  down  to  the  smallest  powder 
boy,  the  whole  crew  was  literally  spoiling  for  a  fight. 
They  were  tired  of  chasing  traders ;  they  wanted  to 
get  alongside  a  war-ship  of  the  enemy,  of  a  force 

218 


CLEARING  SHIP  FOR  ACTION 

comparable  to  their  own.  On  the  28th  of  June, 
1814,  in  latitude  48°  36'  north,  longitude  11°  15' 
west,  their  desire  was  gratified. 

Just  at  dawn,  the  lookouts  sweeping  the  seas  from 
the  mastheads,  reported  two  sail  some  distance  away, 
on  the  lee  beam.  The  hands  were  turned  up  at 
once,  and  the  Wasp  was  headed  for  the  strangers, 
who  were  observed  making  sail  in  an  endeavor  to 
escape.  The  weather  was  cloudy,  but  the  breeze 
was  very  gentle.  The  sea  was  smooth,  and  the  Wasp 
slipped  slowly  through  the  water  after  the  two  ships, 
whose  character  was  concealed  by  the  morning  haze. 

They  were  both  good  goers  apparently,  and 
seemed  to  be  holding  their  own  with  the  American 
ship.  Her  advantage,  if  any,  was  very  slight. 
Plakely,  however,  held  on  in  chase,  and  as  the 
morning  advanced,  he  suddenly  discovered  three 
more  sail  to  windward  of  him,  on  the  weather  beam, 
in  fact.  If  they  all  turned  out  to  be  ships-of-war, 
he  would  have  more  than  he  bargained  for  on  his 
hands.  However,  he  did  not  mean  to  pause  before 
an  uncertainty. 

If  the  ships  in  sight  were  armed,  and  one  of  those 
to  windward,  at  least,  appeared  to  be  a  man-of-war, 
it  would,  of  course,  be  the  part  of  a  prudent  com- 
mander to  attack  the  windward  ships,  rather  than 
the  leeward  ones,  for  if  he  engaged  the  ships  to  lee- 
ward, they  could  hold  him  in  play  while  the  wind- 
ward ships  ran  down  upon  him.  If  he  bore  up  and 

attacked   the  windward   ships   he  would   probably 

219 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

have  little  to  fear  from  the  two  he  had  been  chasing 
to  leeward. 

He  grasped  the  situation  wilh  the  readiness  of  a 
sailor,  and  as  soon  as  the  windward  ships  were  clearly 
developed  he  brought  the  Wasp  by  the  wind  on 
the  port  tack,  and  bore  up  for  the  strangers.  The 
two  ships  he  had  been  chasing  to  leeward,  evidently 
merchantmen,  kept  steadily  on  their  way,  doubtless 
glad  to  escape  from  the  possibility  of  capture,  which 
the  hot  pursuit  had  threatened.  Watching  them 
for  a  short  time,  and  seeing  no  sign  that  they  in- 
tended to  change  their  course,  Blakely  determined 
to  dismiss  them  from  further  consideration. 

Of  the  vessels  to  windward,  the  two  furthest  away 
followed  his  own  manoeuvres,  and  hauled  their  wind 
on  the  starboard  tack,  evidently  endeavoring  to  es- 
cape. The  third  ship,  however,  which  was  a  large 
brig,  came  tasking  down  upon  him,  with  the  wind 
well  aft  on  her  port  quarter,  with  the  apparent  de- 
termination of  taking  a  closer  look  at  him. 

The  wind  was  very  light,  and  the  two  ships 
neared  one  another  with  tantalizing  slowness.  It 
was  soon  perceived  on  the  Wasp  that  the  approach- 
ing ship  was  a  cruiser  of  a  size  nearly  equal  to  their 
own,  and  that,  as  she  came  down  boldly  and  steadily, 
nothing  would  now  prevent  the  long-expected  and 
hoped-for  action. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  brig  set  English  colors  and 
flew  a  private  signal,  to  which,  of  course,  as  the 
Americans  did  not  understand  it,  they  could  make 

820 


CLEARING  SHIP  FOR  ACTION 

no  reply.  Thinking  to  mystify  the  stranger,  and 
hoping  his  silence  might  allure  the  Englishman,  who 
had  the  weather-gage  and  could  therefore  fight  or 
run,  as  it  pleased  him,  while  the  Wasp,  being  to 
leeward,  must,  in  a  certain  sense,  wait  the  other 
man's  pleasure,  Captain  Blakely  showed  no  colors, 
and  paid  no  attention  to  the  signal,  but  continued 
slowly  beating  up  toward  the  enemy. 

The  wind  had  fallen  so  light  that  the  ships  were 
practically  on  even  keels.  On  board  the  Wasp 
things  went  on  just  the  same  as  they  did  on  ordi- 
nary occasions.  The  ships  approached  each  other 
so  slowly  that  Blakely  did  not  even  send  his  men  to 
quarters.  Mess  call  was  sounded  by  the  boatswain, 
the  watches  were  piped  to  dinner  in  succession,  and 
the  mess  gear  deliberately  put  away,  before  the 
American  captain  deemed  it  necessary  to  commence 
his  final  preparations  for  action. 

Meanwhile  the  officers  and  men  were  in  a  fever 
of  excitement.  Long  days  of  waiting  for  a  ship, 
the  slow,  gradual  approach  of  the  one  before  them 
that  morning,  the  baffling  lightness  of  the  wind,  all 
combined  to  produce  a  desperate  anxiety  in  every- 
body's heart.  Even  the  veterans  who  had  seen 
battle,  like  little  Boston  in  the  steerage,  and  Billy 
Bowline  in  the  forecastle,  and  who  made  great  pre- 
tensions of  indifference  at  first,  at  last  gave  away  to 
the  general  feverish  desire.  Captain  Blakely,  calmly 
pacing  the  quarter-deck,  and  old  Jack  Lang,  leaning 
over  the  hammock  cloths  in  the  gangway,  alone 

CCI 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

appeared  not  to  be  infected  by  the  prevailing  excite- 
ment. 

"  Hev  patience,  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  old  man, 
"  we'll  git  it  soon  enough.  That  feller  means  ter 
tackle  us.  He  hain't  changed  his  course  'cept  to 
foller  our  motions  sence  he  squared  away  an'  headed 
fer  us.  You'll  git  yer  belly  full  of  fightin'  afore  this 
sun  sets,  I'll  warrant  ye.  I  know  them  English, 
blast  'em ! "  he  cried,  shaking  his  fist  in  sudden 
heat.  "I've  felt  their  bloody  cat  on  my  back.  I 
wants  nuthin'  better'n  to  git  at  'em ;  but  they'll 
fight,  they're  brave,  I'll  say  that  fer  *em." 

"  Yes,  they're  brave,"  answered  Boston.  "  I  sup- 
pose so.  But,  good  heavens,  how  long  it  seems ! 
It's  past  two  bells  now,  and  we've  been  heading 
toward  them  ever  since  six  o'clock  this  morning." 

"  Mr.  Reilly,"  said  the  captain,  quietly  turning  to 
his  first  lieutenant,  "beat  to  quarters,  sir." 

Not  only  was  the  first  lieutenant  ready  for  the 
signal,  but  the  drummer,  since  early  in  the  morning, 
had  been  hanging  about  near  the  mainmast  trying 
to  dodge  the  eye  of  the  captain  and  impatiently  fin- 
gering his  sticks,  until  one  would  have  thought  he 
would  have  worn  them  through.  For  the  last  half- 
hour  he  had  been  standing  with  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  first  lieutenant,  in  a  perfect  agony  of  impatience, 
and  as  the  young  man  turned  and  looked  at  him  and 
opened  his  mouth  the  youngster,  without  waiting 
for  the  order,  madly  began  to  pound  on  the  drum. 

Rat-a-tat-tat,  rat-a-tat-tat-tat,  the  grim  old  call  to 


CLEARING   SHIP   FOR   ACTION 

action,  was  sent  rattling  along  the  decks  of  the 
sloop.  The  first  note  relieved  the  tension,  and  with 
a  wild  cheer  the  men  sprang  to  their  stations  to 
clear  the  ship  for  action. 

With  eager  hands  they  tore  loose  the  sea  lashings 
and  ran  the  guns  in  and  loaded  them  with  solid  shot 
for  a  first  smashing  blow.  Then  they  were  run  out, 
and  a  turn  taken  with  the  training  tackles  on  either 
side  to  hold  them  secure  and  steady,  until  the  time 
to  use  them.  Although  the  sea  was  so  smooth  that 
these  precautions  were  scarcely  necessary,  yet  the 
invariable  routine  was  nevertheless,  as  always, 
scrupulously  carried  out.  Never  trust  the  weather, 
it's  always  doing  the  unexpected,  being  a  sea 
maxim. 

Down  in  the  bowels  of  the  ship  the  magazine 
was  opened;  the  gunner  and  his  mates,  covered  with 
long  brown  woollen  garments  and  with  list  slippers 
on  their  feet,  were  stationed  inside  a  wetted  woollen 
screen  which  masked  the  door  to  the  magazine,  and 
minimized  the  danger  of  an  explosion  from  sparks 
or  fire.  Outside  at  the  hatchways  the  ship's  boys, 
powder  monkeys,  they  were  called,  clustered  with 
their  black  leather  passing-boxes,  for  transporting 
the  powder  cartridges,  dangling  from  their  shoul- 
ders. 

The  shot-racks  were  piled  with  solid  shot  for  the 
heavy  thirty-two  pound  carronades,  with  stands  of 
grape  and  boxes  of  cannister  for  close-range  work 

convenient  to  hand.     The  arm-chests  were  broken 

223 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

out  and  opened  and  every  man  provided  himself 
with  a  cutlass  and  pistol.  Following  the  example  of 
old  Lang  and  some  of  the  other  veterans,  the  men 
took  off  their  shirts  and  jackets,  kicked  off  their 
shoes,  drew  their  belts  in  a  little  tighter,  and  elected 
to  fight  thus  half-naked.  It  was  a  hot,  sunny  day  at 
best,  with  no  refreshing  breeze  to  temper  the  sum- 
mer warmth,  and  when  to  the  high  temperature  of 
the  season  should  be  added  the  heat  of  battle  they 
would  have  no  use  for  superfluous  clothing.  Al- 
ready perspiration  poured  from  the  lean  and  sinewy 
bodies  of  the  New  Englanders,  as  it  beaded  on  the 
brawny  arms  and  mighty  chest  of  the  old  Hercules 
of  the  ship,  the  chief  boatswain's  mate.  Some  of  the 
men  bound  handkerchiefs  about  their  heads  to  be 
handy  in  case  they  were  needed  to  tie  up  a  wound. 

Those  who  were  detailed  to  act  as  first  and  second 
boarders  put  on  leather  boarding-caps  faced  with 
bright  steel.  Most  of  the  officers,  who  were  armed 
with  cutlass  and  pistol  carefully  primed,  wore  board- 
ing-caps also.  Some  of  them  had  plates  of  steel 
dropping  down  over  their  cheeks  looking  almost 
like  helmets.  Rows  of  sharp  pointed  pikes  were 
placed  in  the  racks  provided  for  them  to  be  used  in 
repelling  boarders. 

The  mess  chests  and  all  other  movable  stuff  that 
might  impede  the  working  of  the  guns  or  the  free 
movement  of  the  men  were  stowed  below  in  the 
hold  out  of  the  way,  and  the  decks  were  sprinkled 

with  sand  so  that,  when  they  became  slippery,  the 

224 


CLEARING  SHIP  FOR  ACTION 

feet  of  the  men  would  hold.  Division  tubs  were 
filled  with  water  and  placed  conveniently  at  hand. 
Pumps  were  overhauled,  tested,  and  found  to  be  in 
good  working  order,  and  the  hose  led  along  the 
deck  to  be  handy  in  case  of  fire. 

The  carpenter  and  his  mates  were  provided  with 
shot  plugs  to  stop  up  any  dangerous  holes  in  the 
ship  and  were  stationed  at  vital  points.  The  lash- 
ings of  the  boats  were  secured  and  looked  to,  and 
they  were  wrapped  with  heavy  canvas  to  prevent 
splinters  being  driven  inboard  in  case  they  were 
struck.  Heavy  rope  nettings  were  made  ready  to 
be  triced  up  fore  and  aft  along  the  waist  to  hinder 
and  embarrass  the  enemy  in  case  he  sought  to  board. 

Preventer  braces  were  roved  from  the  lower  and 
topsail  yard-arms.  The  masts  were  stayed  by  pre- 
venter back-stays.  The  tyes  of  the  heavy  topsail 
yards  were  re-enforced  by  chain  slings ;  the  principal 
rigging,  including  the  back-stays,  was  stoppered,  to 
minimize  the  danger  in  case  any  of  it  should  be  shot 
away.  Grappling-irons,  huge  iron  hooks  on  the  end 
of  stout  rope,  or  iron  chains,  were  laid  conveniently 
at  hand,  to  be  used  in  case  the  ships  came  in  con- 
tact, to  lash  them  together. 

Around  the  masts  and  forward  on  the  forecastle 
the  sail-trimmers,  bodies  of  men  whose  business  it 
was  to  look  after  the  manoeuvring  of  the  ship,  the 
trimming  of  the  yards,  and  the  manipulation  of  the 
sails,  were  clustered.  Some  of  them  were  armed 
with  boarding-axes  or  broad-bladed  hatchets  to  be 

825 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

used  in  cutting  away  the  wreckage  of  the  battle, 
should  it  be  necessary. 

On  the  quarter-deck  the  little  squad  of  marines 
of  the  ship  was  drawn  up  ready  .to  repel  boarders  by 
pouring  in  a  shattering  fire  of  musketry,  and  to  en- 
deavor to  keep  down  the  small-arm  fire  of  the  enemy 
in  the  same  way.  The  chief  quartermaster  and  two 
of  the  oldest  and  most  experienced  hands  took  their 
places  at  the  wheel.  On  the  deck  below,  the  reliev- 
ing tackles,  used  in  moving  the  tiller  and  steering 
the  ship  in  case  the  wheel  were  shot  away,  were  over- 
hauled and  placed  in  condition  to  be  of  immediate 
service. 

In  the  tops  were  little  groups  of  agile,  alert  top- 
men,  each  under  the  command  of  a  carefully  selected 
midshipman.  Their  business  was  to  pick  off  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  enemy  by  musket-fire.  In 
each  top  there  was  a  bucket  of  loaded  pistols, 
and  a  number  of  spare  muskets.  These  men  aloft 
were  also  to  look  to  the  spars  and  the  rigging,  for 
which,  so  far  as  humanity  could  be,  they  were  re- 
sponsible. Their  stations  were  among  the  most 
dangerous  on  the  ship  for,  in  addition  to  the  liability 
of  being  shot,  there  was  always  a  possibility  that 
the  mast  might  be  shot  away,  when  their  chance  of 
escape  would  be  of  the  very  smallest.  Little  Boston 
was  transferred  from  the  forecastle  to  the  impor- 
tant command  of  the  maintop. 

Far  below  the  water-line,  in  the  dark  depths  of 

the   ship,   where    it  was    supposed    the   expected 

226 


CLEARING   SHIP   FOR  ACTION 

wounded  would  be  best  protected  from  the  enemy's 
gun-fire,  the  surgeon  and  his  mates  were  calmly  and 
phlegmatically  arranging  the  rude  surgical  appli- 
ances of  that  day  upon  the  operating  table.  The 
place  was  called  the  cock-pit.  The  cots  with  which 
it  was  provided  were  soon  to  be  filled  with  the 
wounded.  Boston  and  the  other  lads  on  the  ship 
did  not  like  to  think  of  it.  They  dismissed  it  from 
their  minds  as  far  as  it  was  possible. 

All  these  various  preparations  were  completed  in 
less  time  that  it  takes  to  tell  them,  by  the  practised, 
well-drilled  men.  They  had  done  the  same  thing 
many  times  in  play,  now  they  were  doing  it  in  ear- 
nest. The  sight  of  the  grim  English  brig  sweeping 
down  upon  them  warned  them  it  would  be  different 
now. 

Mr.  Reilly,  the  first  lieutenant,  stood  on  the 
quarter-deck,  waiting  for  the  announcements.  Pres- 
ently the  several  officers  reported. 

"  All  ready  forward,  sir." 

"  All  ready  in  the  waist,  sir." 

"  All  ready  aft,  sir." 

"  All  ready  below,  sir." 

When  he  had  received  the  reports  of  all  he  turned 
to  the  quiet  captain  and  informed  him  that  the  ship 
was  clear  for  action,  the  men  at  their  stations,  the 
guns  loaded,  and  that  all  was  ready  for  the  expected 
battle. 

Meanwhile  the  stranger,  after  firing  a  lee-gun  to 

call  attention  to  another  signal  which  she  had  set,  to 

227 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

which,  of  course,  they  paid  no  attention,  for  Blakely 
could  not  make  out  the  English  signal,  also  beat  to 
quarters  and  made  ready  to  engage.  The  Amer- 
icans could  hear  the  faint  ruffle  of  her  drum  rolling 
down  the  wind,  giving  evidence  of  their  willingness 
for  coming  battle. 

Before  the  conflict  was  joined,  however,  Blakely 
determined  to  try  to  wrest  the  weather-gage  from 
the  enemy.  He  suddenly  called  his  men  to  their 
stations  for  stays,  and  without  a  word  of  warning 
the  Wasp,  which  was  handled  with  the  precision  of 
a  machine,  shot  up  into  the  wind  and  fell  off  on  the 
starboard  tack,  but  before  the  sheets  were  hauled 
home  the  English  ship  manoeuvred  just  as  smartly 
and  retained  her  weatherly  position.  Two  or  three 
times  Blakely  tried  to  steal  this  advantage,  but  the 
Englishman  clung  to  it  with  tenacious  obstinacy, 
and  his  windward  position  could  not  be  taken  away 
from  him. 

Seeing  the  futility  of  his  effort,  therefore,  Blakely 
at  last  abandoned  the  endeavor,  ran  off  free,  brailed 
up  his  courses  to  check  the  Wasp's  way,  and  fired  a 
weather  gun  in  defiance.  The  challenge  was  in- 
stantly accepted.  The  English  captain,  seeing  that 
Blakely  had  abandoned  his  effort  to  get  the  weather- 
gage  and  was  now  jogging  along  waiting  for  him, 
set  more  sail  to  close,  and  bore  down  slowly,  but 
as  fast  as  the  wind  permitted,  upon  the  Wasp,  which, 
when  she  fired  her  gun,  set  flying  the  stars  and 

stripes  from  every  masthead. 

228 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

AN    HEROIC    ENGLISH    CAPTAIN 

IN  spite  of  the  impatience  of  the  officers  and 
men  of  both  ships,  they  approached  each  other  with 
the  most  exasperating  slowness.  The  Wasp  had 
just  enough  way  on  her,  with  her  reduced  canvas,  to 
give  her  steerage  way,  and  enable  Blakely  to  retain 
control  of  her.  The  English  were  just  as  anxious 
as  the  Americans,  and  every  rag  of  light  canvas  that 
the  brig  could  show  was  spread  to  urge  her  on. 

It  was  apparent,  even  to  an  unskilled  eye,  that  the 
Wasp  was  a  somewhat  larger  and  heavier  vessel  than 
her  opponent,  the  difference  between  the  two  in 
favor  of  the  Wasp  being  about  in  the  ratio  of  three 
to  two,  and  it  was  highly  probable  that  the  Wasp's 
battery  was  correspondingly  heavier  and  more  effec- 
tive than  that  of  the  English  ship.  This  disparity 
made  the  gallantry  of  the  English  captain,  in  thus 
boldly  leading  down  upon  a  superior  foe,  more  con- 
spicuous, and  Blakely  and  his  men  could  not  restrain 
a  feeling  of  pride  as  they  witnessed  the  courageous 
advance  of  the  other  ship. 

The  young  American  captain  actually  exulted  in 
the  daring  of  his  rival,  and  rejoiced  that  he  was  to 
meet  a  foeman  apparently  so  worthy  of  his  steel. 

229 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

He  would  have  preferred,  of  course,  that  the  ships 
should  have  been  of  equal  size,  or  that  the  disparity 
had  been  the  other  way — that  is,  against  him  instead 
of  in  his  favor — but  it  was  quite  evident  that  they 
would  all  have  enough  of  fighting  before  they  were 
through.  Indeed,  the  approaching  battle  was  des- 
tined to  be  one  of  the  hardest  of  the  war,  and  one  of 
the  most  desperate  actions  ever  fought  on  the  sea. 

Just  as  the  English  brig  slowly  swept  within 
range  her  captain  took  in  his  light  sails,  and,  instead 
of  closing  at  once,  deliberately  chose  a  position,  with 
wise  determination,  which  his  successful  mainte- 
nance of  the  weather-gage  enabled  him  to  do  with- 
out difficulty,  from  which  he  was  immune  to  the 
fire  of  the  Wasp.  He  checked  the  way  of  the  brig 
about  sixty  yards  off  the  weather  quarter  of  the 
American  ship,  and  at  3.19  P.M.  he  opened  fire  with 
a  shifting  twelve-pounder  carronade,  really  a  large 
boat-gun,  mounted  on  his  top-gallant  forecastle,  and 
so  arranged  that  it  could  be  fired  nearly  right  ahead 
or  on  either  bow.  The  shortness  of  the  range,  the 
bulk  of  the  Wasp,  and  the  smoothness  of  the  sea, 
rendered  accurate  shooting  easy.  The  shot  hit  the 
ship  fairly  and  squarely,  and  sent  a  shower  of  splinters 
inboard. 

Not  a  gun  on  the  Wasp  as  yet  bore  on  the  enemy. 
There  was  nothing  they  could  do  but  hold  on  grimly 
and  take  the  pounding,  especially  as  they  imagined 
that  every  moment  would  bring  the  brig  alongside 
of  them  and  under  their  guns.  But  the  English 

230 


AN    HEROIC   ENGLISH    CAPTAIN 

captain  was  too  good  a  seaman  to  throw  away  such 
an  advantage.  For  ten  minutes,  by  skilful  manage- 
ment of  his  ship,  he  held  his  position,  blazing  away 
at  the  American  ship.  He  was  very  deliberate  about 
it,  too,  as  the  shifting  carronade  was  fired  after  being 
carefully  aimed  only  about  once  in  every  two  minutes. 

The  Englishman  alternated  grape-shot  and  solid 
shot  from  the  carronade.  The  damage  was  consider- 
able. A  man  was  killed  by  a  solid  shot,  which  swept 
through  a  port,  several  were  wounded,  one  severely, 
by  grape-shot,  and  the  situation  was  becoming  des- 
perate. Nothing  that  a  soldier  or  a  sailor  is  required 
to  do  is  so  hard  to  compass,  and  brings  such  a  strain 
upon  his  native  courage  and  discipline,  as  to  stand 
passive  under  fire  without  the  possibility  of  a  return. 
In  this  respect  the  green  crew  of  the  Wasp  showed 
that  they  possessed  the  steadiness  of  veterans. 

Yet,  it  was  desperately  hard  work.  The  younger 
men  could  scarcely  control  their  impatience.  In 
the  maintop  the  situation  was  even  more  nerve- 
shattering,  for  the  mizzen  topsail  hid  the  enemy 
from  the  view  of  Boston  and  his  men,  who  were 
forced  to  bide  quiet,  without  even  the  consolation 
or  the  relief  that  comes  from  seeing  what  the  enemy 
may  be  doing.  Every  few  minutes  would  come  that 
deadly  roar,  followed  by  the  crash  of  a  solid  shot  or 
the  whistling  of  grape.  Two  discharges,  by  the  way, 
were  aimed  at  the  rigging  of  the  Wasp,  and  several 
holes  were  torn  in  the  maintopsail  by  the  grape-shot 
all  about  their  heads.  Down  in  the  waist  Boston 

231 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

could  see  old  Jack,  watching  anxiously  after  every 
discharge  to  see  if  he  were  hurt.  He  waved  his 
hand  at  the  old  man,  therefore,  and  the  mutual 
recognition  cheered  them  both.  » 

Seeing  that  the  English  commander  was  too  good 
a  seaman  to  throw  away  his  advantage,  Blakely  at 
last  put  his  helm  down  and  made  a  half-board.  The 
Wasp  slowly  swept  to  port.  At  3.26  the  after  car- 
ronade  in  the  port  battery  at  last  bore  upon  the 
English  ship.  The  gun  captain  was  immediately 
beneath  Captain  Blakely.  The  lock-string  was  taut 
in  his  hand.  Without  orders,  he  trained  the  gun 
on  the  brig's  bow  as  the  ship  swung,  and  then  stood 
looking  at  Blakely  with  a  world  of  entreaty  in  his 
gaze.  The  captain  was  no  less  desirous  than  the 
gunner.  The  instant  the  piece  bore  he  nodded  his 
head. 

"  Give  it  to  him,  lads ! "  he  cried,  but  before  the 
words  were  heard  the  hammer  of  the  gun-lock  fell 
upon  the  priming,  and  with  a  huge  roar  the  bolt  sped 
to  its  mark.  The  sound  had  not  died  away  before 
the  next  carronade  barked  out  its  note  of  defiance 
followed  by  the  next,  and  the  next  in  succession, 
until  the  whole  broadside  had  been  deliberately 
emptied  upon  the  English  ship. 

The  reply  came  instantly.  Seeing  that  he  could 
no  longer  maintain  his  position,  the  captain  of  the 
brig  laid  his  ship  alongside  the  Wasp  and  returned 
her  fire  with  every  gun.  The  fire  on  both  sides  was 
exceedingly  rapid.  The  marksmen  of  the  American 

232 


AN    HEROIC   ENGLISH   CAPTAIN 

were  in  their  element.  The  tension  of  waiting 
taken  off,  they  put  in  practice  all  they  had  learned 
in  the  various  drills  and  target  practices  they  had 
enjoyed,  and  while  they  maintained  their  fire  at  a 
fearful  pace  they  did  not  sacrifice  accuracy  to 
haste. 

The  concussion,  of  course,  deadened  the  light  air, 
and  the  two  vessels  lay  side  by  side  in  the  smooth 
water,  less  than  twenty  yards  apart,  not  so  far  as  is 
the  distance  from  sidewalk  to  sidewalk  in  an  ordi- 
nary city  street !  The  smoke  hung  over  each  of 
them  in  heavy  clouds,  but  it  was  easy  for  the  Ameri- 
can gunners  to  find  the  target.  From  the  marines 
on  the  quarter-deck  and  the  small-arm  men  in  the 
top  a  rapid  musket-fire  was  also  poured  upon  the 
English,  although  without  much  effect,  for  the  smoke 
Would  scarcely  permit  any  individual  officer  or  man 
to  be  seen. 

After  a  few  minutes  of  this  close  action  the  pun- 
ishment inflicted  upon  him  by  the  heavy  guns  of 
the  Wasp  convinced  the  English  captain  that  he 
could  no  longer  play  at  that  game.  He  was  too 
weak  for  this  sort  of  fighting.  Close  quarters  was 
his  only  hope.  He  had  trusted  to  be  able  to  over- 
come his  disparity  in  size  by  superior  seamanship 
and  the  accuracy  and  rapidity  of  his  fire.  His  crew 
was  a  famous  one.  They  had  been  called  the  pride 
of  Plymouth.  They  had  been  together  a  long  time, 
and  had  been  drilled  and  practised  under  their  pres- 
ent captain  until  they  worked  together  with  absolute 

233 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

accuracy.  But  he  met  a  captain  just  as  skilled,  a 
crew  just  as  well  drilled,  marksmen  just  as  accurate, 
nay,  even  more  so  than  his  own,  and  after  ten  min- 
utes of  fearful  punishment  he  was  convinced  that 
the  battle  was  lost  unless  he  could  capture  his  enemy, 
as  so  many  British  captains  had  done  in  similar  in- 
stance, by  resorting  to  the  final  and  desperate  expe- 
dient of  boarding. 

Bidding  his  boarders  to  stand  by,  he  put  his  helm 
hard  aweather,  and,  covered  by  the  smoke,  ran  down 
upon  the  Wasp.  He  struck  her  lightly  upon  the 
port  quarter  with  his  starboard  bow.  With  that 
unconscious  prescience  which  distinguishes  the  true 
sailor,  Blakely  had  divined  his  movement.  As  the 
bow  of  the  brig  came  shoving  through  the  smoke, 
he  raked  her  hard  at  close  range,  and  then  he  called 
away  his  men  to  repel  boarders. 

The  American  seamen,  cutlass  and  pike  in  hand, 
came  running  aft  and  crouched  down  beneath  the 
bulwarks.  The  marines,  with  loaded  muskets  and 
bayonets,  rallied  at  once  to  the  point  of  impact.  The 
English  captain  had  been  wounded  early  in  the 
action.  A  bullet  had  torn  away  the  calves  of  both 
his  legs.  He  had  refused  to  leave  the  deck,  and  had 
continued  to  direct  the  fire  in  spite  of  his  wounds. 
Just  as  the  two  ships  came  together  a  grape-shot 
wounded  him  in  both  thighs  so  severely  that  he  fell 
on  his  knees.  He  was  bleeding  fearfully.  His  reso- 
lution, however,  was  riot  abated  by  these  four  severe 
wounds,  and,  kneeling  there  upon  the  deck,  support- 

234 


AN   HEROIC   ENGLISH    CAPTAIN 

ing  himself  by  a  stay,  he  gave  the  command  to 
board. 

The  English  sea-dogs,  with  magnificent  courage, 
sprang  upon  the  rail  of  their  ship.  The  two  ships 
were  in  actual  contact,  but  the  bend  of  the  sides  and 
the  light  tumble  home  of  the  upper  works  separated 
the  two  crews  by  a  few  feet.  They  were  near  enough 
to  each  other,  however,  to  fight  hand  in  hand. 

The  British  fired  their  pistols  in  the  faces  of  the 
Americans.  The  marines  responded  with  their 
muskets.  Then  the  two  parties  went  at  it,  cutlass 
and  pike  in  hand,  Jack  Lang  in  the  very  front  of 
the  fray.  The  roar  of  the  great  guns  was  succeeded 
by  the  crackle  of  the  small  arms,  muskets,  and  pis- 
tols, and  the  shouts  and  yells  of  the  madly  excited 
men. 

Though  the  English  fought  with  desperate  reso- 
lution, the  cool  courage  with  which  they  were  met, 
and  the  preponderance  of  force  on  the  American 
decks  finally  drove  them  back.  They  were  not  yet 
beaten,  however,  for  the  English  captain,  seeing  the 
repulse  of  his  boarders,  dragged  himself  to  his  feet, 
grasped  one  of  the  shrouds,  swung  himself  on  the 
hammock  cloth,  and  called  his  men  to  board  again. 

The  men  in  the  main-top  of  the  Wasp  now  had  a 
clear  view  of  the  English  officers  and  men. 

"  The  English  captain  ! "  suddenly  cried  little 
Boston,  comprehending  the  struggling  masses  as  the 
smoke  blew  away.  "  Mark  him  down  ! " 

Three  or  four  shots  rang  out  as  the  topmen  tried 

235 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

their  pieces  on  him.  Still  the  English  captain  re- 
mained unharmed.  His  men  crowded  a  second  time 
to  the  rail,  and  the  battle  began  again.  In  the  top 
was  a  Vermonter  who  was  noted  for  his  skill  as  a 
marksman.  Taking  careful  aim,  he  sent  a  bullet 
crashing  into  the  head  of  the  brave  English  officer, 
and  at  the  same  moment  another  bullet  from  the 
deck  found  the  same  mark.  They  could  see  him 
drop  his  sword,  and  clap  his  hands  to  his  face. 
They  were  close  enough  to  see  his  lips  move  as  he 
fell  back  upon  the  deck,  dead. 

At  this  opportune  moment  for  the  Americans  the 
stentorian  voice  of  Blakely  could  be  heard  calling  : 

"  Boarders,  away ! " 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

TAKEN    BY    STORM 

"  THIS  way,  men,"  cried  Boston,  who  was  not  a 
boarder  of  course,  but  he  was  so  excited  by  the 
combat  that  he  swung  himself  down  on  the  main- 
yard  and,  followed  by  two  or  three  of  his  men,  ran 
out  on  the  yard-arm,  slid  down  the  standing  part  of 
the  main  brace,  which  had  been  cut  by  a  shot  and 
was  trailing  on  the  deck  of  the  enemy,  gained  the 
forecastle  of  the  brig,  and  plunged  into  the  backs  of 
the  Englishmen,  who,  notwithstanding  that  they  had 
lost  their  captain  and  almost  every  officer  of  the 
ship,  were  manfully  standing  up  against  the  Ameri- 
can boarders  led  by  Blakely  himself,  with  Lang  ply- 
ing his  cutlass  with  terrible  effect  close  by  his  cap- 
tain's side. 

There  was  a  wild  mttte  lasting  scarcely  more 
than  an  instant,  before  the  English  left  alive  were 
simply  overborne  by  force  of  numbers.  They  were 
driven  back  against  the  rails,  masts,  and  bulwarks, 
and  their  weapons  literally  wrested  from  them. 
At  3.44  the  brig  was  surrendered  by  the  captain's 
clerk,  the  senior  surviving  officer  on  the  ship ! 

"  Who  are  you,  sir  ?  "  asked  Blakely,  as  the  man 
tendered  his  sword. 

237 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Richard  Collins,  sir." 

"  Your  rank  ?  " 

"  Captain's  clerk." 

"  Where  is  your  captain  ?" 

"  Dead,  sir,  yonder." 

"  The  first  lieutenant  ?  " 

"  Wounded,  sir." 

"  Your  purser,  bo's'n,  midshipmen  —  any  sea 
officer?" 

"  All  killed  or  wounded,  sir,"  said  the  man, 
brokenly. 

"  Young  man,  keep  your  sword,"  said  Blakely, 
returning  the  weapon,  "  you  have  made  an  heroic 
defence.  In  all  my  experience  I  have  never  seen 
such  fighting.  What  ship  is  this?" 

"  His  Britannic  Majesty's  brig  Reindeer \  sir." 

"  What's  your  force  ?  " 

"  One  hundred  and  eighteen  men." 

"  Your  armament  ?  " 

"  Sixteen  short  twenty-four-pound  carronades, 
two  short  sixes,  and  a  shifting  twelve-pounder  on  the 
forecastle.  May  I  ask  the  name  of  your  ship,  sir  ?  " 

"The  United  States  sloop-of-war  Wasp"  an- 
swered Blakely. 

"  We  thought  so,"  said  the  man.  "  We  were  or- 
dered to  look  out  for  you." 

After  returning  his  sword  to  Mr.  Collins,  Blakely 
walked  over  to  the  body  of  the  English  captain. 
As  he  stopped  near  him  he  took  off  his  hat  and 
looked  respectfully  and  pityingly  down  at  him. 

238 


TAKEN   BY   STORM 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said  to  his  own  officers  who 
were  near  him,  "  there  was  a  hero  if  there  ever  was 
one." 

"  Yes,  yer  honor,"  said  the  boatswain's  mate  of 
the  English  ship  who  stood  near,  "  I  was  by  'im  all 
the  time  of  the  fightin'.  You  notice  'e  'ad  both 
calves  of  'is  legs  shot  off,  an'  a  bullet  went  through 
both  thighs.  Why,  sirs,  w'en  we  was  beat  back 
from  the  fust  attempt  to  board,  he  raised  'imself  to 
'is  feet  by  ketchin'  onto  a  stay  an'  was  standin'  on 
the  rail  cheerin'  us  on  w'en  that  second  bullet  corn- 
in'  from  aloft  struck  'im  in  the  'ead.  '  My  God  ! ' 
'e  says,  puttin'  his  'ands  to  'is  face  an'  droppin'  'is 
sword,  an'  then  'e  falls  to  the  deck  where  ye  sees  'im." 

"  What  was  his  name  ?  " 

"  Manners,  sir.     Cap'n  William  Manners." 

"  Take  his  body  aft,  some  of  you,"  said  Blakely ; 
"lay  him  on  an  arm-chest  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
cover  him  with  his  own  flag.  He  bore  a  name  his 
countrymen  will  long  remember.  He  did  all  that 
mortal  man  could  do  to  win  a  victory  and  was  only 
beaten  by  a  larger  and  heavier  ship." 

Two  or  three  Englishmen  and  a  number  of 
American  sailors  picked  up  the  body  of  the  heroic 
captain  and  carried  it  tenderly  aft  to  the  quarter- 
deck of  the  Reindeer,  all  the  Americans  uncovering 
as  the  little  group  passed  them. 

"  Do  you  know  who  shot  him,  Mr.  Boston  ?  You 
were  in  the  main-top,"  asked  the  captain  of  the  Wasp 
of  the  midshipman  who  stood  near. 

239 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

44  Skyles,  sir,  the  Vermont  hunter." 

"Where  is  he?" 

"  Why — he  was  here  when  we  boarded.  He  fol- 
lowed us.  I  don't  know  where  he  is,  sir,"  answered 
Ned,  looking  around  in  surprise. 

"  Please,  yer  'onor,"  said  a  wounded  English  sailor, 
leaning  on  his  elbow  on  the  deck,  "  I  seed  'im  shoot 
my  cap'n  an'  I  pistolled  'im  as  'e  dropped  on  our 
deck  from  the  yard-arm.  'Is  body  lies  yonder." 

Blakely  stooped  down  and  turned  the  body  indi- 
cated by  the  English  seaman  over  on  its  back,  and 
there  was  the  tall  Vermonter.  A  bullet  had  struck 
him  in  the  heart.  He  held  his  cutlass  clasped  tightly 
in  his  hand.  The  look  of  fierce  excitement  of  the 
battle  had  given  place  to  one  of  peace,  now  that  his 
earthly  career  was  ended. 

"  Mr.  Boston,"  said  Blakely,  "you  have  done  well 
in  this  battle.  You  have  done  exceptionally  well 
where  all  deserve  to  be  commended,  and  I  am 
heartily  pleased  with  you  and  your  gallantry  in 
boarding  the  Reindeer  from  the  main  yard-arm. 
You  will  be  mentioned  in  the  despatches,  sir,  and 
your  father,  old  Commodore  Little,  will  be  proud  of 
you,  I  am  sure.  It  was  a  fortunate  day,  sir,  when 
we  picked  you  up  out  of  the  sea." 

Captain  Blakely  turned  and  made  his  way  aft, 
followed  by  the  little  midshipman,  who  was  so  ex- 
cited that  he  could  scarcely  contain  himself.  After 
they  had  gone  a  few  steps  they  came  across  old 
Jack  Lang,  whose  naked  chest  was  grimed  with 

240 


TAKEN    BY   STORM 

sweat  and  powder  stains.  He  was  holding  a  cut- 
lass splashed  with  blood,  not  his  own.  He  had 
the  reeking  weapon  folded  in  his  arms,  that  little 
trick  of  position  he  had,  but  as  his  eye  fell  upon 
little  Boston,  whom  he  had  marked  when  they  had 
boarded  and  striven  to  reach,  and  as  his  ear  drank 
in  the  captain's  words  of  praise,  forgetful  of  every- 
thing but  his  love  for  the  boy  and  the  strange  rela- 
tionship which  he  sustained  to  him,  he  dropped  the 
weapon  and  fairly  caught  him  in  his  arms. 

"  Yer  honor,"  he  cried,  in  enthusiastic  admiration. 
"  I  done  it !  I  made  this  boy,  this  young  gentle- 
man, wot  he  is.  It's  a  proud  day  for  me,  sir,  w'en 
I  hears  ye  commendin'  him  fer  courage  an'  skill, 
but  I  knowed  it  'ud  be  so.  Me  an'  Cap'n  Little, 
sir,  we  allus  said  he'd  be  an  admiral  afore  he 
died." 

"  Indeed,  Master  Lang,  your  pupil  does  you  great 
honor." 

"  Thankee,  sir,  thankee,"  said  the  old  man,  as 
much  delighted  as  if  he  had  received  the  captain's 
praise  himself.  "  Bein'  a  man  of  few  words,  sir,  as 
yer  honor  knows  of  me  fer  a  long  time  back,"  he 
continued,  his  eyes  twinkling,  "  I  makes  bold  in  be- 
half of  the  crew,  w'ich  they  ain't  haymakers  no  more, 
as  has  done  so  well,  to  congratulate  yer  honor  on 
this  most  amazin'  victory.  In  all  my  fightin',  I 
skurcely  never  seed  nuthin'  like  it !  It  reminds  me 
of  the  day  we  fit  the  Serrypis  more'n  forty  years  ago. 
I  tell  ye,  sir,  we  was  led  by  a  fighter  them  days,  an'  I 

241 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

don't  keer  who  knows  it,  we're  led  by  a  fighter 
now." 

"  Thank  you,  Lang,  thank  you,"  said  the  captain, 
his  face  mantling  from  this  praise. 

He  was  too  good  an  officer  not  to  value  the  good 
esteem  of  his  crew,  and  the  approbation  of  such  a 
veteran  as  Lang,  who  had  fought  in  so  many  battles, 
under  so  many  great  captains,  was  as  high  a  tribute 
as  he  could  receive. 

"  Sir,"  went  on  the  old  man,  "  I  hates  them  Eng- 
lish !  Curse  'em,  I  lives  to  fight  'em !  They've 
left  their  mark  on  my  back  with  their  nasty  cat  too 
many  times  fer  me  to  ever  forgit  'em.  But  that 
man  lyin'  yonder,  sir,"  he  cried,  pointing  toward  the 
body  of  the  English  captain  upon  the  deck,  whose 
determined  conduct  shed  much  immortal  lustre  upon 
his  service  and  his  flag,  "  that  man  was  one  of  the 
bravest  men  I  ever  fit  against,  an'  he  was  a  prime 
seaman,  too,  he  was.  Pity  he  couldn't  'a'  been  an 
American." 

"  You're  right,  you're  right,"  said  Blakely.  "  His 
loss  saddens  our  triumph.  But  let's  go  aboard  the 
Wasp  and  take  account  of  our  injuries.  Mr.  Bos- 
ton, tell  Lieutenant  Tillinghast  to  take  charge  of  the 
prize  with  the  crews  of  the  first  and  second  cutters. 
You  may  remain  with  him." 

The  result  of  this  sanguinary  action  was  a  list  of 
casualties  appalling  in  number  and  character.  Twen- 
ty-five officers  and  men  had  been  killed,  and  forty- 
two  wounded,  most  of  them  severely,  making;  a  total 

242 


TAKEN   BY   STORM 

of  sixty-seven  out  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen  men 
on  the  Reindeer.  The  brig  itself  had  been  literally 
cut  to  pieces.  The  American  gun  fire  had  been 
aimed  largely  at  the  British  guns,  and  the  ports  were 
knocked  into  one  continuous  opening.  Everything 
on  deck  had  been  swept  away.  Both  masts  had 
been  badly  wounded,  the  head  booms  frightfully  cut 
up.  The  brig  had  received  many  shot  between  wind 
and  water.  Many  of  the  crew  had  been  killed  by 
pike  or  bayonet  thrusts,  or  by  blows  from  the  cut- 
lasses, showing  how  close  had  been  the  hand-to-hand 
fighting. 

On  board  the  Wasp  the  casualties  were  also  se- 
vere, greater  loss  having  been  inflicted  by  the  Eng- 
lish upon  the  American  ship  in  this  fight  than  in 
any  of  the  other  sloop,  or  even  frigate,  actions,  save 
in  the  capture  of  the  Chesapeake.  Eleven  officers 
and  men  were  killed  outright,  or  mortally  wounded, 
and  fifteen  others  severely  wounded. 

Midshipman  Toscan,  in  the  mizzen  top  of  the 
Wasp,  had  been  mortally  wounded  by  a  grape-shot. 
Midshipman  Langdon  was  stationed  in  the  foretop. 
When  the  Reindeer  ran  aboard  the  American  ship 
he  had  emulated  the  manoeuvre  of  Ned  Boston  and 
had  come  down  on  the  foreyard  with  his  men,  set- 
tling themselves  there  to  sweep  the  enemy's  decks 
with  musketry.  While  there  a  bullet  struck  and 
mortally  wounded  him.  He  refused  to  be  lowered 
to  the  deck,  but,  supporting  himself  by  tenaciously 
grasping  the  jack-stay,  he  stayed  there  and  clung  to 

243 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

the  yard  until  the  battle  was  over,  urging  his  men  to 
keep  cool  and  aim  carefully. 

Aside  from  the  losses  in  men,  most  of  which  had 
resulted  from  the  hand-to-hand  fight  upon  the  decks, 
the  Wasp  had  not  sustained  much  damage  from  the 
British  fire.  There  was  a  twenty-four-pound  shot 
through  the  foremast,  and  five  heavy  shot  had  hulled 
the  American  sloop,  and  she  had  been  well  peppered 
with  grape,  but  otherwise  no  particular,  or  serious, 
damage  had  resulted  from  the  combat.  As  soon  as 
their  own  men  had  been  attended  to,  the  surgeon 
and  his  mates  had  repaired  to  the  Reindeer,  where 
they  did  all  they  could  for  the  unfortunate  English- 
men. The  dead  were  all  buried  that  afternoon.  Ev- 
ery possible  honor  was  paid  to  the  heroic  English 
captain,  who  had  written  his  name  high  in  the  im- 
mortal records  of  the  masters  of  the  sea. 

The  next  day  the  foremast  of  the  Reindeer  carried 
away,  and  she  was  so  badly  shattered  that  Blakely, 
finding  it  impossible  to  bring  her  in,  set  fire  to  her 
and  blew  her  up.  It  was  a  melancholy  picture  in- 
deed which  she  presented  from  the  decks  of  the 
Wasp,  and  one  that  filled  them  all  with  sadness  as 
they  looked  upon  the  last  of  her. 

After  taking  two  more  prizes,  which  they  scuttled 
as  they  had  done  the  others,  Blakely  overhauled  a 
third,  which  he  turned  into  a  cartel.  Putting  the 
wounded  English  prisoners  aboard  of  her,  he  finally 
abandoned  the  channel  and  bore  up  for  L'Orient, 
which  he  reached  on  the  8th  of  July,  having  been 

244 


TAKEN   BY   STORM 

out  three  months,  during  which  time  he  had  inflicted 
losses  upon  the  commerce  of  the  enemy,  amounting 
perhaps  to  a  million  dollars,  and  had  destroyed  one 
of  the  finest  little  war-ships  in  the  British  service. 

He  was  much  in  need  of  water  and  supplies,  and 
his  magazines  needed  replenishing.  His  haymakers, 
too,  if  this  opprobrious  title,  from  the  sailor's  point 
of  view,  could  be  applied  to  so  splendid  a  set  of  sea- 
men and  fighters  as  they  had  developed  into,  were 
sick  for  a  sight  of  a  shore,  so  that  everything  urged 
him  to  take  the  course  that  he  did. 

Next  to  the  Constitution,  his  ship  had  become 
the  most  famous  of  American  cruisers.  People 
spoke  of  her  as  the  "  Terror  of  the  Sea,"  and  a 
hideous  but  popular  cartoon  depicted  "John  Bull" 
as  suffering  excruciating  torments  from  the  stings 
of  the  Wasp.  Determined  upon  giving  his  men  a 
long  rest  and  thoroughly  overhauling  the  Wasp, 
therefore,  Blakely  dropped  anchor  in  the  famous 
harbor  from  which  so  many  years  before  Paul  Jones 
had  led  his  nondescript  fleet  in  that  famous  cruise 
which  ended  in  the  capture  of  the  Serapis  and  the 
sinking  of  the  Richard,  a  story  of  heroic  and  des- 
perate valor  which  the  youngsters  on  the  ship  never 
tired  of  hearing  from  the  lips  of  old  Lang,  who,  to 
be  sure,  never  tired  of  telling  it,  either. 

It  was  a  great  relief  to  everyone  when  the  cable 
rushed  through  the  hawse-pipe,  and  the  first  part  of 
the  cruise  was  over.  The  officers,  as  they  could  be 
spared  from  their  duties,  got  plenty  of  shore  leave, 

245 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

and  by  the  special  favor  of  the  captain  Boston  went 
with  him  for  a  visit  to  Paris,  which  was  the  event, 
so  far,  of  his  lifetime. 

Filling  up  their  complement  with  some  ex- 
changed privateersmen  to  take  the  place  of  those  who 
had  been  killed  in  action  or  were  so  seriously  wounded 
that  they  had  not  recovered  when  the  date  of  sailing 
arrived,  and  had  to  be  left  behind,  after  having  com- 
pletely overhauled  the  Wasp,  corrected  some  defects 
which  the  first  cruise  discovered,  they  set  sail  on  the 
2 /th  of  August,  1814,  with  light  hearts,  fond  antici- 
pations, and  bright  hopes,  on  another  cruise,  which, 
they  trusted,  might  prove  as  successful  as  their  first 
cruise,  and  dashed  into  the  British  Channel. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A   WASP    INDEED 

ONCE  more  off  the  English  Channel. 

As  Midshipman  Geisinger  said,  the  English  Chan- 
nel was  the  toll-road  and  the  Wasp  was  the  gate- 
keeper. The  extraordinary  luck  which  had  attended 
them  did  not  desert  them,  and  after  being  out  three 
days  they  overhauled  the  brig  Lettice,  loaded  with 
grain,  and  scuttled  and  sent  her  to  the  bottom  as 
usual.  The  next  day,  again  after  a  stern  chase,  they 
meted  out  the  same  treatment  to  the  brig  Bon  Ac- 
cord,  loaded  with  Spanish  wine.  On  the  morning 
of  the  first  of  September,  the  day  after,  they  found 
themselves  in  the  presence  of  a  large  convoy  of 
merchantmen,  of  some  twelve  sail,  under  the  protec 
tion  of  the  line-of-battle  ship  Armada,  of  seventy- 
four  guns. 

The  convoy,  which  was  going  free  with  the  wind 
on  the  port  quarter,  was  sighted  at  daybreak.  In- 
deed, Blakely,  being  of  a  curious  and  investigating 
turn  of  mind,  had  run  so  close  to  it  during  the  night 
that  at  dawn  he  was  almost  under  the  guns  of  the 
great  ship  which  brought  up  the  rear  of  the  long, 
straggling  line  of  merchantmen.  As  soon  as  it  was 
light  enough  to  see  the  perilous  position  of  the  Wasp, 

*47 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

he  instantly  bore  up  and  began  to  beat  away  from 
the  towering  liner. 

The  first  business  of  the  Americans  was  to  get 
out  of  range  at  once.  The  wind  was  light,  and  it 
was  soon  found  that  the  huge,  lumbering  capital 
ship  was  no  match  at  all  in  speed  for  the  handy  little 
sloop-of-war  in  such  a  breeze.  So  Blakely  boldly 
wore  ship  and  hovered  near  the  liner  again. 

The  liner,  at  first,  beyond  signalling  her  convoy 
and  shooting  to  windward  of  the  rearmost  ships, 
paid  no  attention  to  the  American,  but  after  Blakely 
had  made  one  or  two  bold  dashes  at  the  line  the 
Armada  signalled  the  merchantmen  to  bear  away, 
and  determinedly  headed  up  after  the  impudent  little 
ship  to  drive  her  away  finally. 

Realizing  that  he  could  easily  outsail  his  pursuer, 
who,  indeed,  would  not  dare  to  follow  him  very  far 
from  the  vicinity  of  her  convoy,  Blakely  determined 
upon  an  act  of  extraordinary  boldness.  In  other 
words,  he  resolved  to  cut  out  a  prize  under  the  very 
nose  of  the  British  captain  and  the  huge  ship-of-the- 
line.  Sending  his  men  to  quarters,  he  briefly  ad- 
dressed them  and  communicated  his  purpose.  His 
dashing  young  fire-eaters  were  ready  for  anything. 
Receiving  his  announcement  with  wild  cheers,  they 
instantly  began  to  busy  themselves  in  preparing  for 
the  audacious  exploit. 

The  convoy,  which,  like  all  other  convoys,  obeyed 
signals  about  as  it  pleased  the  different  skippers, 
was  strung  out  in  a  long  line,  the  battleship  near  the 

248 


A  WASP   INDEED 

rear  of  the  line,  most  of  the  merchant  ships  being 
to  leeward  of  her,  although  the  foremost  ship  was 
well  to  windward  and  manifested  a  foolish  determi- 
nation to  stay  there. 

Blakely  headed  away  from  the  line  on  the  port 
tack,  and  the  Armada  came  jogging  along  in  his 
rear.  A  few  moments  served  to  show  the  rela- 
tive sailing  qualities  of  the  two  ships.  The  Wasp 
could  sail  all  around  the  other  in  that  wind ;  in  a 
gale  it  might  be  different.  Blakely  kept  her  ap- 
parently jammed  up  to  windward,  but  he  cleverly 
allowed  her  to  go  to  leeward  as  fast  as  he  dared. 

The  unsuspecting  English  captain,  following  hard 
upon  her  heels,  gradually  left  his  convoy  further 
and  further  astern,  and  began  to  weather  the  Amer- 
ican ship  perceptibly,  to  his  very  great  delight.  He 
hoped  to  get  abeam  of  her,  and  then  have  her  in  his 
mercy,  if  she  were  in  range.  In  his  anger  at  the 
audacity  of  the  chase,  the  impudence  of  the  Wasp's 
performance,  the  Englishman  failed  to  take  account 
of  the  position  and  actions  of  his  following.  Seeing 
him,  as  they  supposed,  chasing  the  stranger  away, 
they  one  after  another  braced  in  aft  and  bore  up  to 
get  on  their  course  again. 

Although  Blakely  had  explained  his  purpose  of 
not  leaving  the  convoy  without  an  attempt  at  least 
to  cut  out  one  of  them,  his  men  could  scarcely  un- 
derstand his  manoeuvre  in  persistently  leading  the 
line-of-battle  ship  away  from  the  fleet.  They  were 
a  puzzled  lot  of  youngsters,  and  an  anxious  lot  as 

249 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

well.  Now  that  their  captain  had  declared  his 
intention  to  attempt  the  brilliant  exploit,  they 
were  keenly  disappointed  when  they  saw  the  oppor- 
tunity, as  it  appeared,  slowly  fading  away.  But 
Blakely  knew  exactly  what  he  was  about.  He  held 
on  as  long  as  he  could,  for,  as  every  moment  sepa- 
rated the  Armada  farther  and  farther  from  the 
merchant  ships,  he  feared  she  would  give  over  the 
chase.  But  the  English  captain  was  determined  to 
hold  on  till  he  settled  things  and  had  driven  away 
the  saucy  Yankee  which  had  been  bothering  him 
all  morning. 

The  American  captain  counted  on  getting  the 
Englishman  so  far  from  the  vessels  he  was  to  pro- 
tect that  the  superior  speed  and  handiness  of  the 
Wasp  would  enable  him  to  overhaul  one  of  them, 
at  least,  before  the  unwieldy  ship-of-the-line  could 
overtake  her.  Therefore,  having  led  the  English 
captain  as  far  away  as  he  dared,  Blakely  suddenly 
put  his  helm  up,  shivered  his  after  sails,  braced  in, 
and  ran  off  down  the  wind,  toward  the  head  of  the 
convoy,  like  a  scared  rabbit.  The  surprised  liner 
emulated  his  manoeuvre  by  wearing  and  following 
after,  losing  much  distance  in  the  performance. 

However,  Blakely  was  now  well  ahead  and  far 
out  of  gunshot  range  on  the  Englishman's  star- 
board bow  and  leaving  him  every  moment.  All  the 
Wasp's  stunsails  and  every  other  cloth  of  canvas 
that  she  could  spread  he  at  once  flung  out.  Prep- 
aration had  been  made  before  he  shifted  his  helm, 

250 


A  WASP   INDEED 

and  no  time  whatever  was  lost  in  getting  the  stun- 
sails  on  the  sloop.  Aided  by  them  the  Wasp 
skimmed  over  the  waves  like  a  huge  bird.  The 
captain  of  the  Armada  had  anticipated  no  such 
bold  manoeuvre  as  this,  and  before  he  could  get  his 
stunsails  out  the  fast  little  American  sloop-of-war 
had  drawn  so  far  away  that  it  was  evident  that  he 
could  not  catch  her  in  time. 

Meantime  there  was  a  scene  of  wild  excitement 
in  the  convoy.  In  helpless  confusion  some  wore 
and  tried  to  beat  back  to  the  Armada.  Others  ran 
off  before  the  wind,  but  the  van  ship  kept  boldly 
on — indeed,  there  was  nothing  else  to  do — hoping 
that  her  distance  might  save  her,  or,  as  she  was 
armed,  that  she  might  make  so  stout  a  resistance  as 
would  give  the  Armada  time  to  catch  up.  The 
English  captain  was  frantic  with  rage  as  he  saw  the 
audacious  little  American  approaching  the  lone  ship 
at  the  head  of  his  line. 

Finding  that  he  was  so  decidedly  outsailed,  as  a 
last  desperate  chance  he  luffed  up  and  cut  loose  his 
heavy  broadside,  scaling  his  main-deck  ports  as  the 
sea  permitted  and  using  his  heaviest  charges  in  his 
largest  guns.  For  one  anxious  moment  the  Ameri- 
cans fancied  they  might  be  yet  within  range.  The 
men  on  the  little  cruiser  held  their  breath,  fearfully 
expectant  that  a  long  and  lucky  shot  from  the  big 
Britisher  might  cripple  them  by  carrying  away  a 
spar,  but  the  broadside  that  was  hurled  upon  them 
fortunately  did  no  damage.  Seeing  the  uselessness 

251 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

of  the  attempt  the  Armada  ran  off  again  and  dog- 
gedly settled  down  to  pursue.  Casting  a  quick 
glance  aloft  and  finding  that  he  was  safe,  Blakely 
held  the  Wasp  steadily  on  her  course  toward  the 
head  of  the  convoy,  a  large  brig  very  deep  in  the 
water  and  a  sluggish  sailer. 

The  chase  was  making  frantic  efforts  to  escape, 
but  the  Wasp  ran  her  down  after  a  chase  of  an 
hour,  and  fired  a  shot  over  her,  which  she  pluckily 
returned  by  a  discharge  from  the  two  small  guns 
that  she  carried.  Blakely  peremptorily  ordered  her 
to  strike  her  flag  at  once  as  he  ranged  alongside. 
Upon  her  refusal  to  do  so  and  upon  her  persistence 
in  blazing  away  at  him  a  second  time,  certainly  in 
the  hope  of  crippling  him  so  that  he  would  fall  into 
the  clutches  of  the  liner  pounding  furiously  away  in 
chase,  Blakely  fired  a  broadside  into  the  brig  which 
dismounted  her  two  guns,  carried  away  her  main- 
mast and  foretopmast,  and  left  her  helpless. 

Sending  the  first  cutter  with  Mr.  Baury  and  Ned 
Boston  and  a  heavily  armed  boat  crew  aboard  of 
her,  with  instructions  to  destroy  her  without  losing 
a  moment,  Blakely  hove-to  the  Wasp,  and  coolly 
waited,  giving  the  nearest  merchantman  astern  a 
damaging  broadside  as  he  did  so  from  his  weather 
battery. 

The  cutter's  men  in  their  excitement  pulled  like 
mad  as  they  left  the  side  of  the  Wasp,  and  the 
heavy  boat  fairly  danced  through  the  water  in  racing 

time  toward  the   helpless   prize.     They  scrambled 

252 


A  WASP   INDEED 

aboard  of  her  at  once,  meeting  no  resistance  from 
the  terrified  English  crew  of  ten  men,  whom  they 
clapped  into  the  only  one  of  their  own  boats  still 
left  seaworthy  and  sent  drifting  away,  to  be  picked 
up  by  the  liner  of  course.  The  prize  they  had  cap- 
tured proved  to  be  the  brig  Mary,  loaded  with  a 
very  valuable  cargo  of  new  brass  cannon,  small 
arms,  and  other  munition  of  war. 

The  carpenter,  who  was  in  the  cutter,  hurried  be- 
low and  bored  two  or  three  holes  in  the  ship's  hull, 
while  the  rest  of  the  crew  scattered  in  every  direc- 
tion the  combustibles  with  which  they  had  been  pro- 
vided.  When  they  applied  the  torch,  so  rapidly  did 
the  brig  take  fire,  that  the  carpenter  was  almost  cut 
off  below.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  the  prize 
was  a  roaring  furnace. 

Waiting  until  they  made  sure  that  she  would  be 
thoroughly  destroyed,  they  scrambled  down  into 
their  boat  and  pulled  away  to  the  Wasp.  Blakely 
was  standing  on  the  weather  quarter,  waiting  in  the 
greatest  anxiety  for  them.  The  breeze  had  fresh- 
ened somewhat  and  the  Armada,  having  at  last  got 
a  better  wind,  was  rushing  down  upon  them. 

The  English  captain  was  furious  with  anger  and 
would  have  given  anything  to  catch  the  American 
burning  his  most  valuable  ship  before  his  eyes.  In- 
deed, the  liner  was  within  long  gunshot  range  now 
with  her  heavy  guns,  and  but  that  she  would  have 
been  forced  to  bring  to  or  to  yaw  in  order  that  her 
broadside  might  bear,  in  which  case  she  would  have 

253 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

lost  valuable  distance,  the  Wasp  would  already  have 
been  under  fire.  Therefore  there  was  need  for 
haste. 

Without  stopping  to  unload  her  crew  the  falls  of 
the  cutter  were  hooked  on,  and  with  everything  in 
her  she  was  run  up  to  the  davits,  all  standing.  The 
men  on  the  Wasp  never  worked  so  hard  in  their 
lives  before,  nor  so  quickly  as  they  did  at  that 
moment.  As  soon  as  the  falls  were  belayed  the 
braces  were  manned,  the  yards  swung,  and  the  little 
sloop  rushed  away  with  the  wind  on  her  port  quarter. 
Seeing  which  the  line-of-battle  ship,  whose  captain 
was  simply  foaming  with  fury  at  the  impudence  of 
the  Americans,  put  her  helm  up  also,  and  as  her 
long  broadside  swung  in  view  she  let  fly  with  every 
gun  that  bore. 

One  shot  carried  away  the  topmast  stuns'l  boom, 
another  smashed  one  of  the  boats  at  the  davits. 
Here  and  there  a  rope  or  a  shroud  was  parted,  the 
lee  cross-jack  brace  was  shot  away,  there  was  a  huge 
rent  in  the  mainsail,  but  nothing  serious  happened. 

In  desperation  the  Armada  wore,  and  as  her  other 
broadside  bore  she  turned  it- loose  upon  the  Wasp 
also,  but  with  no  effect  whatever.  They  were  out 
of  range.  Then  seeing  the  futility  of  further  effort 
she  sullenly  ran  down  toward  the  brig's  boat  and 
picked  up  her  unfortunate  crew.  The  brig  by  this 
time  was  a  mass  of  flame.  She  was  so  very  low  in 
the  water,  too,  that  if  she  had  not  burned  she  would 
have  certainly  sunk  from  the  holes  they  had  made 

254 


A  WASP   INDEED 

in  her.  As  the  Americans  watched  her,  however, 
some  of  the  powder  with  which  she  was  stored 
ignited,  and  she  blew  up  with  a  roar  that  was  heard 
for  miles. 

As  for  the  Wasp's  men,  when  they  realized  the 
brilliancy  of  their  bold  and  audacious  exploit,  they 
broke  into  frantic  cheers,  dancing  and  yelling, 
hugging  each  other  upon  the  deck,  and  shaking  their 
fists  at  the  impotent  liner  in  such  a  fashion  that 
Blakely  almost  conceived  that  the  English  could 
hear  the  noise  and  commotion. 

It  was  one  of  the  most  daring  exploits  of  the  war. 
The  cruise  had  opened  most  auspiciously  and  every- 
body was  in  the  best  of  spirits  and  the  highest 
humor.  There  was  more  in  store  for  them  that  day 
if  they  only  knew  it. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

RIGHT   INTO    THE    FACE    OF    THE    ENEMY 

AFTER  their  splendid  exploit  the  crew  in  high 
glee  secured  the  guns  and  went  to  a  well-earned  din- 
ner, of  which  they  partook  with  the  zest  of  men 
who  had  done  their  duty  and  had  worked  hard  in 
doing  it.  The  breeze  freshened  hour  by  hour,  and 
in  consideration  of  this  fact,  which,  of  course,  di- 
minished the  difference  in  the  rate  of  sailing  between 
the  liner  and  the  Wasp,  Blakely  concluded  that  he 
had  done  about  all  the  damage  to  the  convoy  that 
he  was  capable  of  under  the  circumstances,  and  he 
continued  out  to  sea  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter, 
the  gallant  little  sloop  making  great  way  through 
the  water. 

As  they  were  still  within  the  most  frequented 
waters  on  the  globe,  for  nearly  all  the  shipping  trade 
of  the  world  at  one  time  or  another  passed  through 
the  English  Channel,  the  lookouts,  which  were  kept 
constantly  on  every  masthead  during  the  day,  were 
eagerly  sweeping  the  horizon  in  every  direction. 
There  was  a  standing  reward  of  a  half-eagle  for 
every  sail  sighted,  which  was  doubled  in  case  the 
vessel  sighted  were  an  enemy,  and  the  purser  had 

been  heard  to  say  that  if  their  luck  did  not  change 

256 


the  crew  would  bankrupt  the  United  States !  Scarce- 
ly a  day  passed  without  their  overhauling  some  ves- 
sel, or  attempting  to  do  so,  and  the  captures  were 
many. 

With  a  veteran  crew  there  would  have  been  some 
grumbling  on  account  of  the  lack  of  prize  money, 
for  Blakely  was  unable  to  send  in  any  of  the  ships 
he  captured.  He  could  not  spare  the  men  in  the 
first  place,  the  distance  was  too  great  from  a  home 
port  in  the  second,  and  it  was  scarcely  worth  while 
to  run  the  almost  certain  risk  of  recapture  from  the 
British  vessels  which  in  the  latter  part  of  1814  liter- 
ally swarmed  off  the  American  coast,  blockading 
every  harbor  as  they  were  able  in  the  most  rigid 
way.  Indeed,  it  meant  salvation  for  the  British 
merchant  marine  to  enforce  such  a  blockade,  for  the 
cruises  of  the  Wasp  were  vivid  examples  of  the 
damage  that  might  be,  and  would  be,  produced  if 
the  American  ships  were  allowed  to  get  free. 

The  presence  of  that  one  little  American  vessel  in 
the  channel,  not  only  by  captures  which  she  made, 
but  by  the  ships  which  the  fear  of  her  detained  in 
their  harbors,  the  men  who  were  forced  to  lie  idle, 
the  demurrage  charges  run  up,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
increased  cost  of  insurance  and  valuable  time  lost  by 
the  necessity  for  holding  merchant  ships  until  they 
could  be  convoyed  by  war  vessels,  which,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Armada,  were  not  always  equal  to  the 
task  assigned  them,  had  inflicted  a  monetary  loss 
which  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  estimate. 

257 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Blakely  had  sent  his  report  of  the  first  part  of  his 
cruise  home  from  L'Orient,  and,  though  he  had  not 
received  word,  Congress  had  immediately  voted  him 
a  gold  medal  for  the  destruction  of  the  Reindeer, 
and  silver  medals  to  the  officers,  and,  as  usual, 
$25,000  in  prize  money  to  distribute  among  the 
officers  and  crew  to  compensate  them  for  the  en- 
forced destruction  of  their  enemy.  The  State  of 
North  Carolina,  which  claimed  him  as  a  son,  had 
also  voted  him  a  magnificent  sword.  Of  all  these 
things,  however,  the  Wasp's  people  knew  noth- 
ing. 

In  Blakely's  report  Midshipman  Boston,  with 
other  young  officers,  was  commended  for  conspic- 
uous gallantry.  Blakely  had  considerately  called 
the  youngster  into  the  cabin  and  read  to  him  that 
portion  of  his  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to 
which  reference  had  been  made,  and  the  boy  was 
treading  on  air. 

"You  have  no  name  of  your  own,  Mr.  Boston," 
said  Blakely  at  the  time  ;  "  at  least  no  one  has  ever 
been  able  to  find  out  what  it  is,  but  you  are  making 
the  name  which  was  given  you,  the  name  of  that 
stout  old  New  England  city  which  you  bear,  one  of 
the  most  noted  among  those  of  our  young  officers 
of  the  navy.  I  don't  know,  sir,  but  that  it  is 
better  to  make  a  name,  after  all,  than  to  be  born 
with  one." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Boston.     "  But  it's  very  nice 

to  be  born  with  one.     At  least,  I  think  it  would  be, 

258 


INTO   THE   FACE   OF   THE   ENEMY 

sir.  Do  you  suppose  I'll  ever  find  anything  out 
about  my — my — father,  Captain  Blakely  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  sir,"  answered  the  captain,  "yet 
such  things  have  happened,"  he  added,  seeing  the 
boy's  disappointed  look.  "  The  secret  began  on  the 
sea,  you  know ;  perhaps  it  may  be  solved  there." 

"  I  hope  so,  sir,"  answered  Ned.  "  Commodore 
Little  gave  me  the  locket  and  ring  when  I  entered 
the  navy.  He  said  perhaps  I  might  need  them 
sometime — that  they  might  make  me  known." 

"  What  have  you  done  with  them  ?  " 

"  I  always  wear  them  around  my  neck  on  this 
little  chain." 

"  That's  right,  that's  right.  Never  be  parted  from 
them  on  any  account ;  and  who  knows  what  may 
occur  ?  Now  run  along  on  deck  and  say  nothing 
about  my  mention  of  your  name  in  the  despatches 
to  any  one.  A  good  officer,  sir,  is  always  modest 
and  discreet." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir.  Thank  you,  sir,"  responded  the  de- 
lighted boy. 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  the  captain,  "  not  at  all. 
You  earned  it." 

But  to  return  to  the  most  eventful  day  in  the  life 
of  the  ship.  About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  four 
sail  were  sighted  in  quick  succession.  Two  of  them 
were  together,  far  away  on  the  lee  bow,  and  two  of 
them  were  to  windward  in  line  ahead.  True  to  the 
sound  principles  which  had  actuated  him  before, 
Blakely  immediately  hauled  up  in  chase  of  the  near- 

259 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

est  weathermost  vessel.  The  ten-knot  breeze  was  a 
fine  working  one  for  the  Wasp.  She  showed  her 
sailing  qualities  in  regal  style,  making  great  speed 
through  the  troublesome  little  sea  kicking  up 
through  the  fresh  breeze. 

The  two  ships  to  leeward  were  so  far  away  that, 
although  they  appeared  to  be  coming  by  the  wind 
in  an  endeavor  to  beat  up  toward  the  American 
ship,  Blakely  disregarded  them  for  the  present.  Of 
the  two  ships  to  windward,  one  was  far  ahead  of  the 
other.  In  fact,  the  van  ship  was  so  far  away  from 
the  second  that  she  was  quite  hull  down  from  the 
Wasp,  and  although  she  wore  just  before  nightfall, 
and  bore  down  to  investigate  what  was  about  to 
happen,  it  would  be  some  time,  so  the  Americans 
calculated,  before  she  could  draw  near  enough  to 
do  any  damage. 

The  ship  which  he  had  singled  out  and  toward 
which  he  was  steadily  approaching  by  brilliant  wind- 
ward work  in  long  and  short  tacks,  in  alternation, 
after  some  hesitation  concluded  to  run  down  toward 
her  consort  far  ahead.  The  action  of  these  four 
ships  indicated  that  they  were  men-of-war,  for  mer- 
chant ships  would  have  immediately  made  sail  to 
get  away  from  the  proximity  of  what,  from  her  ac- 
tions, was  undoubtedly  an  enemy. 

Blakely,  therefore,  was  taking  his  ship  into  a  circle 
of  war  vessels,  any  one  of  which  might  be  more  than 
a  match  for  his  own.  It  was  a  hazardous  undertak- 
ing, but  he  did  not  enter  upon  it  recklessly.  On 

260 


INTO   THE   FACE   OF   THE   ENEMY 

the  contrary,  he  carefully  weighed  every  possibility. 
It  appeared  to  him  that  under  the  present  conditions, 
if  the  wind  held,  and  it  was  blowing  with  encourag- 
ing steadiness,  he  could  bring  the  vessel  he  was  di- 
rectly chasing  under  his  guns  in  a  couple  of  hours. 
He  was  sure  that  by  no  possibility  could  the  two 
vessels  to  leeward  get  in  range  before  four  or  five 
hours.  It  was  possible,  however,  that  the  vessel 
ahead  might  succeed  in  bringing  him  to  action  about 
the  same  time  that  he  overhauled  the  chase.  He 
considered  the  matter  with  the  utmost  skill,  estimated 
the  distance  between  himself  and  the  other  ships  as 
best  he  could,  and  finally  called  to  his  aid  not  only 
his  lieutenants,  but  also  old  Jack  Lang,  whose  long 
sea  experience  enabled  him  to  give  valuable  counsel 
under  such  circumstances. 

They  finally  concluded  that  they  would,  in  all 
probability,  get  alongside  the  first  vessel  with  forty 
minutes  or  an  hour  to  spare  before  the  second  came 
down.  Of  course  if  the  three  vessels  came  together 
at  the  same  time,  as  it  was  quite  evident  now  that 
either  of  the  two  to  windward  was  a  fair  match  for 
the  Wasp,  the  two  combined  would  so  greatly  over- 
match him  that  he  could  hardly  fight  them  with 
much  chance  of  success.  But  if  he  could  have  half 
an  hour  to  deal  with  the  one  before  the  other  came 
up  Blakely  and  the  others  also  felt  confident  that 
they  could  put  her  out  of  action  and  be  ready  for 
the  second  when  she  appeared. 

It  may  be  doubted,  however,  such  was  the  tem- 

261 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

per  of  the  officers  and  men  and  such  their  confi- 
dence in  the  ship,  whether  Blakely  would  have 
turned  back  if  he  had  been  certain  of  meeting  the 
two  ships  at  the  same  moment.  But  as  it  was  he 
had  just  the  chances  that  have  been  mentioned. 

The  Wasp  was  the  scene  of  the  wildest  enthusi- 
asm. The  sailors  could  see  the  situation  as  well  as 
the  officers.  They  realized  that  Blakely  was  boldly 
heading  into  a  converging  circle  of  enemies,  with 
the  determination  of  attacking  them  in  detail  with 
his  single  ship.  It  was  a  conception  infinitely  more 
audacious  and  attended  with  much  more  risk  than 
had  been  their  notable  exploit  of  the  morning. 
Perhaps  under  the  spell  of  that  early  success,  they 
approached  it  with  that  sublime  self-confidence  by 
which  battles  are  half  won  in  advance. 

The  men  were  sent  to  supper  at  the  usual  time, 
and  constrained  to  eat,  in  spite  of  their  engrossing 
situation,  by  the  insistence  of  Lang  and  the  veteran 
petty  officers,  but  it  was  difficult  to  keep  them 
below  for  any  length  of  time.  After  supper  was 
over,  the  ship  cleared  for  action  as  usual. 

The  wind  blew  from  such  a  direction  that  the 
best  method  of  approach  for  the  Wasp  continued 
to  be  by  long  and  short  tacks  in  alternation.  Never 
was  a  ship  handled  more  smartly,  and  Blakely's 
heart  filled  with  pride  and  pleasure  as  he  saw  the 
Wasp  again  and  again  shoot  up  into  the  wind  and 
fall  away  on  the  other  tack  with  scarcely  an  appre- 
ciable loss  of  speed.  The  cool,  seamanlike,  hand- 

262 


INTO   THE   FACE   OF   THE   ENEMY 

some  way  in  which  the  evolutions  were  performed 
filled  him  with  joy  in  his  men  and  his  ship. 

The  night  bade  fair  to  be  very  dark.  There  was 
no  moon,  although  the  stars  shone  brightly.  Before 
darkness  came  on,  the  Wasp  had  drawn  nearly  in 
range  of  the  chase,  which  seemed  to  be  a  slug- 
gish vessel  indeed.  Before  it  became  too  dark  to 
see,  the  captain  himself  had  gone  to  the  cross-trees 
and  had  taken  a  long  look  at  the  other  three  ships 
of  the  enemy,  which,  being  nearer  now,  could  yet  be 
discerned  even  in  the  twilight.  The  position  they 
had  reached  justified  his  reckoning.  They  were 
just  about  where  he  thought  they  would  be.  The 
one  that  had  been  forward  was  of  course  nearest  to 
the  Wasp  and  her  chase,  but  he  noted  with  grim 
pleasure  that  he  could  count  on  at  least  thirty 
minutes  alone  with  the  flying  brig  ahead  of  him. 
That  would  be  all  that  he  wanted. 

Meanwhile,  by  the  cleverest  kind  of  sea-jockey- 
ing, by  the  superior  speed  and  handiness  of  his  ship, 
she  had  got  into  such  a  position  that  she  had  finally 
gained  the  weather-gauge  of  the  chase !  Indeed, 
seeing  the  state  of  affairs  and  the  superior  speed  of 
his  ship,  he  had  held  on  his  last  tack,  until  he  could 
run  off  free  and  come  down  to  windward  of  her. 
The  men  had  been  sent  to  quarters  and  every  prep- 
aration made  for  battle,  when  about  nine  o'clock  at 
night  he  drew  so  near  to  the  port  quarter  of  the 
brig  that  he  concluded  to  hail  her. 


263 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE    WASP  SINKS   THE   AVON 

CAPTAIN  BLAKELY  sprang  on  the  mizzen  sheer 
poles  to  hail,  but  before  he  had  opened  his  mouth  a 
voice  from  the  brig  called  out : 

"What  ship  is  that?" 

Instead  of  giving  the  desired  information,  Blakely 
hollowed  his  hand  and  shouted  back  : 

"What  brig  is  that?" 

"  His  Britannic  Majesty's  Brig  Avon"  was  the 
answer,  but  the  noise  made  by  the  strong  wind 
singing  through  the  rigging  prevented  the  Ameri- 
can from  catching  the  name.  Again  the  chase 
hailed. 

"What  ship  is  that?" 

"  Heave  to  !  "  yelled  Blakely  through  the  trumpet 
which  the  sailing-master  handed  to  him.  "And 
we'll  soon  let  you  know  who  we  are ! " 

But  his  words  were  not  understood  apparently, 
for  the  question  was  again  repeated.  At  that 
Blakely  directed  Sailing-Master  Carr  to  go  forward 
on  the  forecastle,  which  would  bring  him  consider- 
ably nearer  the  brig,  and  order  her  to  heave  to  or 
he  would  sink  her. 

The  course  of  the  brig  had  been  one  of  singular 

264 


THE  WASP   SINKS   THE   AVON 

vacillation.  She  had  first  started  to  escape  in  one 
direction,  then  she  had  endeavored  to  join  her  con- 
sort, then  she  had  come  by  the  wind  as  if  to  wait 
for  her  antagonist.  Now  the  captain  evidently  in- 
tended another  change.  The  Wasp  would  have 
been  certain  to  overhaul  her  sooner  or  later,  but  if 
she  had  continued  to  windward  the  Avon  would 
have  run  off  before  the  wind  and  it  might  have 
been  later.  At  any  rate,  when  the  final  demand 
was  made  from  the  Wasp,  instead  of  complying, 
the  English  captain  suddenly  set  his  port  foretop- 
mast  stun  sail,  which  was  a  risky  thing  to  do  in  the 
high  wind  then  blowing. 

The  famous  twelve-pound  carronade  which  had 
done  such  damage  to  the  Wasp  at  the  beginning  of 
her  action  with  the  Reindeer  had  been  taken  out 
of  the  latter  ship  before  she  was  destroyed  and 
mounted  on  the  forecastle  as  a  shifting  gun.  See- 
ing the  effort  of  the  chase  to  escape,  Blakely  at  9.22 
opened  fire  from  this  carronade,  which  was  mounted 
as  a  chase-gun  and  had  a  range  practically  dead 
ahead.  The  brig  instantly  returned  the  fire  from 
her  after-guns.  Then  she  put  her  helm  up  to  run 
before  the  wind. 

In  order  to  frustrate  this  attempt  to  escape,  Blakely 
also  put  his  helm  up  to  bear  under  her  lee.  As  the 
W£asp  was  much  quicker  than  the  other  vessel  she 
fell  off  more  rapidly,  and  as  her  broadside  bore  she 
poured  a  close-range  raking  fire  into  the  enemy. 
The  American  captain  had  loaded  his  guns  with 

265 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

star,  bar,  and  chain  shot,  and,  contrary  to  his  ordinary 
practice,  had  directed  the  gun-captains  to  aim  at  the 
rigging  of  the  chase. 

His  wisdom  was  apparent.  The  brig's  spanker- 
gaff  was  shot  away,  her  topsail-sheet  parted,  and  the 
stuns'1-boom  was  shot  away.  Having  drawn  swiftly 
past  her  stern,  the  Wasp  now  luffed  up  once  more 
and  ranged  along  the  lee-side  of  the  chase.  There 
was  no  escape  for  her  now.  Blakely  had  her  just 
where  he  wanted  her;  she  had  to  fight,  and  if  she 
were  disabled  she  would  drift  down  into  his  arms. 

It  was  pitch  dark,  but  the  men  on  the  Wasp  could 
distinguish  the  black  hulk  of  the  English  brig  close 
to  windward,  although  she  showed  no  lights  in  her 
efforts  to  escape.  The  guns  had  been  quickly  re- 
loaded with  solid  shot,  and  at  close  range  the  two 
vessels  exchanged  fierce  broadsides.  The  gunners 
had  nothing  definite  at  which  to  aim  but  the  inter- 
mittent flashes  of  the  other  ship's  cannon,  until 
Blakely  detected  a  faint  white  line  of  foam  where 
the  black  mass  of  waves  swept  along  the  side  of  his 
enemy  at  the  water-line.  He  directed  his  men  to 
make  that  gray  line  a  target  for  their  next  shot. 

His  wisdom  may  be  judged  from  this.  If  a  shot 
struck  the  brig  at,  or  just  above,  the  water-line,  it 
went  smashing  into  her  vitals.  If  it  struck  the  water 
just  before  it  touched  the  brig,  it  ricochetted  up- 
ward and  played  havoc  among  the  crew.  The  gun- 
practice  of  the  American  crew  was,  as  usual,  superb  ; 
that  of  the  British  very  bad.  One  of  the  only  three 

266 


THE  WASP   SINKS   THE  AVON 

men  hit  on  the  Wasp  in  this  engagement  was  actu- 
ally struck  by  the  remains  of  a  gun-wad,  so  near 
were  they.  The  two  ships  were  so  close  in  contact 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  action  that  the  failure 
of  the  English  to  hit  the  Wasp  was  a  mystery. 

At  any  rate,  a  few  moments  before  ten  o'clock, 
Blakely,  perceiving  that  the  English  fire  had  died 
away,  ordered  his  men  to  hold  their  own  fire.  When 
silence  supervened  he  hailed  the  enemy  and  asked  if 
they  had  struck.  Receiving  an  affirmative  answer, 
he  was  about  to  call  away  the  boats  to  take  posses- 
sion, when,  through  some  unexplained  mistake,  the 
enemy  reopened  the  battle  with  a  volley  of  musketry 
from  her  tops,  and  a  few  straggling  shot  from  her 
battery.  The  Wasp  immediately  returned  two  or 
three  broadsides,  which  entirely  silenced  the  English 
ship,  when  Blakely,  unwilling  to  make  a  chopping- 
block  out  of  her  any  longer,  again  hailed  and  asked 
if  she  had  struck. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  cried  a  voice  out  of  the  darkness, 
fraught  with  anguish  and  humiliation,  "  we've 
struck  !  We've  struck  !  The  ship  is  sinking  !  Send 
us  boats,  for  God's  sake  !  We've  none  left !  " 

Directing  Mr.  Tillinghast  to  take  charge,  Blakely 
called  away  the  second  cutter,  shouting  at  the  same 
time  that  he  would  stand  by  the  sinking  brig  to  suc- 
cor her  men. 

The  Americans,  cheering  frantically  in  their  de- 
light at  the  result  of  the  action,  came  tumbling  aft 
to  get  the  boat  into  the  water.  Before  they  could 

267 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

do  it,  however,  Mr.  Reilly,  who  had  come  up  on 
the  poop,  happened  to  glance  aft.  There,  out  in 
the  darkness,  he  saw  the  gray  loom  of  the  topsail 
of  a  ship.  Instantly  a  line  of  light  lanced  out 
of  the  darkness  and  a  shot  screamed  over  the 
Wasp. 

"  Sail  ho  ! "  he  cried. 

It  was  the  second  ship  of  the  enemy ! 

"Keep  fast  the  boat ! "  thundered  Blakely, instant- 
ly alive  to  the  situation.  "  Man  the  lee  braces ! 
Man  the  starboard  battery  !  Up  with  the  helm ! " 

It  was  Blakely's  plan  to  wear  ship  and  run  down 
toward  the  second  vessel,  but  alas,  when  the  braces 
were  manned  and  the  attempt  made  to  swing  the 
yards,  it  was  found  that  so  many  of  the  braces  had 
been  cut  that  the  evolution  could  not  be  performed. 
The  second  English  ship  had  drawn  nearer  now,  and 
she  put  her  helm  up  and  poured  a  harmless  broad- 
side into  the  Wasp,  which  Blakely  answered  as  well 
as  he  could  from  his  after-guns. 

Meanwhile  a  third  ship,  the  Tartarus,  which  ap- 
peared from  heaven  knows  where  and  which  was 
made  out  to  be  a  larger  ship-of-war  than  the  Wasp, 
hove  in  sight  on  the  other  quarter.  A  sudden, 
sharp  broadside  hurled  at  her  at  close  range  caused 
her  to  pause,  and  Blakely,  seeing  that  he  was  now 
hopelessly  outnumbered,  and,  indeed,  being  unable 
from  the  loss  of  his  braces  to  do  anything  else,  re- 
luctantly ran  off  before  the  wind,  being  urged  to  this 
decision  by  the  knowledge  that  the  two  ships  which 


.      THE  WASP   SINKS   THE   AVON 

had  been  far  to  leeward  would  also  soon  be  at  the 
scene  of  action. 

He  was  pursued  by  the  third  ship  for  a  short  time, 
but  soon  dropped  her  behind  and  made  his  escape. 
Although  Blakely  never  learned  it,  the  English  ship 
that  he  had  beaten  to  a  standstill  and  which  had 
surrendered  to  him,  but  of  which  he  had  been  un- 
able to  take  possession,  was  the  brig-of-war^zwz,of 
the  same  size  and  armament  as  the  Reindeer.  Her 
first  lieutenant  and  nine  men  had  been  killed,  her 
commander,  second  lieutenant,  sailing  master,  and 
twenty-nine  seamen  were  wounded.  The  brig  which 
first  came  to  the  succor  of  the  Avon,  and  exchanged 
shots  with  the  Wasp,  was  the  Castilian,  of  the  same 
size. 

As  the  Wasp  bore  away,  the  men  of  the  Avon 
hailed  the  Castilian  and  informed  her  that  they  were 
sinking.  Thereupon  the  Castilians  boats  were 
called  in  service,  and  by  hard,  desperate  work  they 
succeeded  in  getting  all  the  survivors  aboard  of 
her  by  i  A.M.,  when,  just  as  the  last  boat  drew  off, 
the  Avon  went  down  headforemost,  carrying  with 
her  into  the  depths  the  bodies  of  those  who  had 
perished  on  her  decks. 

So  fierce  had  been  the  gun-fire  of  the  Wasp  that 
in  thirty-one  minutes  she  had  dismasted  the  brig, 
killed  and  wounded  over  forty  per  cent,  of  her  crew, 
and  reduced  her.  to  a  sinking  condition,  and  this  at 
the  expense  of  two  men  killed  and  one  wounded  on 

the  Wasp,  a  few  round  shot  in  her  hull  and  some 

269 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

damage  to  sails  and  rigging  and  running  gear,  which 
she  could  easily  repair  at  sea.  No  wonder  that  the 
men  of  the  Wasp,  from  the  smallest  ship's  boy  to 
the  young  captain,  carried  themselves  like  cocks  of 
the  walk.  They  would  hardly  have  hesitated  to  en- 
gage a  frigate. 

They  had  done  exceedingly  well  that  day.  It  is 
doubted  if  any  single  ship  had  ever  been  manoeuvred 
and  fought  more  effectively  under  such  circum- 
stances. They  had  cut  out,  burned,  and  destroyed 
the  most  valuable  ship  from  a  fleet  convoyed  by  a 
seventy-four,  and  they  had  done  it  right  under  the 
nose  of  the  great  line-of-battle  ship.  They  had  boldly 
ventured  into  a  circle  of  their  enemies  that  evening, 
selected  one  of  them,  sunk  her,  and  had  partially 
engaged  with  two  others,  one  of  which  they  had 
beaten  off,  and  had  escaped  in  safety  with  so  little 
damage  as  to  be  scarcely  worth  considering  in  both 
actions. 

No  wonder  that  those  who  had  the  midwatch  in 
turned  into  their  hammocks  and  slept  the  sleep  of 
the  hard-worked  and  well-doing.  When  morning 
broke,  they  had  escaped  all  pursuit  and  were  alone 
upon  the  ocean. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

LAST    LETTERS    HOME 

"  ALL  you  that  wants  to  write  letters  home,"  bel- 
lowed the  chief  boatswain's  mate,  "  now's  yer  chance. 
Drills  an'  exercises  will  be  suspended  until  eight 
bells  by  orders  of  the  cap'n." 

These  remarks  were  greeted  with  enthusiastic 
cheers  by  the  men  on  the  Wasp,  cheers  which  pene- 
trated even  to  the  cabin,  where  Captain  Blakely  sat 
writing  a  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  of  the 
events  of  the  past  few  weeks,  or  of  the  cruise  since 
he  had  taken  his  departure  from  L'Orient. 

After  the  smashing  of  the  Avon  and  the  escape 
from  the  other  ships,  whose  very  presence  convinced 
the  American  that  the  English  Channel  had  now 
become  too  hot  to  hold  him,  since  it  was  apparently 
swarming  with  cruisers  in  couples  which  would  infal- 
libly get  him  if  he  continued  longer  in  those  waters, 
Blakely  determined  to  run  down  toward  the  path- 
way of  the  South  American  and  West  Indian  ships 
in  the  hope  of  overhauling  more  valuable  prizes,  and 
perhaps  falling  in  with  a  sloop  like  the  Frolic,  or 
some  other  match  for  the  Wasp,  on  which  he  could 
try  the  temper  of  his  ship  again. 

There  is  no  denying  the  fact  that,  barring  the  great 

271 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Constitution,  he  commanded  the  luckiest  and  most 
efficient  ship  of  the  navy.  The  officers  and  crew 
worked  like  clock-work  together,  and  they  were 
possessed  with  such  a  sublime  self-confidence  that 
there  was  nothing  they  would  have  hesitated  to  at- 
tack. Of  course  they  could  not  hope  to  make  so 
many  prizes  in  their  new  cruising  ground  as  in  the 
crowded  English  Channel,  but  their  luck  had  not 
yet  deserted  them,  for  during  the  early  part  of  the 
next  month  they  overhauled  two  valuable  brigs,  both 
of  which  were  burned,  and  on  the  i4th  of  Septem- 
ber, they  brought  to  another  large  and  handsome 
brig  after  a  long,  hard  chase,  during  which  the  brig 
made  a  stout  resistance,  being  armed  with  eight 
guns. 

This  brig  proved  to  be  the  most  valuable  prize  of 
the  cruise.  She  was  from  Bordeaux,  France,  bound 
to  Pensacola,  and  was  loaded  with  brandy,  wine, 
silks,  lace,  and  other  costly  French  notions.  A 
hasty  examination  of  her  manifest  and  bills  of  lad- 
ing indicated  to  Blakely  that  she  must  be  worth 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  as  the  Wasp 
was  now  far  from  the  more  frequented  waters,  the 
captain  decided  to  take  the  risk  of  sending  her  in. 

He  selected  Midshipman  Geisinger,  the  senior 
midshipman  of  the  ship,  to  command  her  as  prize- 
master,  and  directed  him  to  endeavor  to  make  some 
Southern  port,  Charleston  or  Savannah,  where  the 
blockade  was  not  usually  so  rigorously  maintained 
by  the  British.  He  gave  him  a  prize  crew  of  twelve 

272 


LAST   LETTERS   HOME 

men,  picked  men  at  that,  and  ordered  Ned  Boston 
to  go  with  him  as  his  assistant.  Presuming  upon 
their  old  relationship  and  the  affection  in  which  his 
captain  held  him,  Boston  respectfully  protested 
against  being  sent  away  from  the  Wasp. 

"  Why,"  said  the  captain,  smiling  down  at  the  ear- 
nest, flushed  face  of  the  lad,  as  he  stood  before  him 
in  the  cabin,  "  I  thought  you  would  like  to  go,  Mr. 
Boston.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  take  the  Wasp 
home  for  two  months  yet,  and  if  all  goes  well  the 
brig  ought  to  be  in  port  in  three  weeks.  She  looks 
like  a  fast  goer,"  he  added,  glancing  out  of  the  after 
port.  "  You  know  she  is  an  American-built  ship. 
She  used  to  be  the  privateer  Siro  before  the  British 
captured  her  and  renamed  her.  Mr.  Geisinger  is  a 
careful  fellow,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  bring 
her  in  safely  enough,  given  half  a  show.  Therefore 
you  run  little  risk.  See  what  a  chance  you  have  to 
get  on  shore  before  the  rest  of  us.  The  Wasp  has 
done  well  on  this  cruise,  too,"  continued  the  young 
captain,  cheerfully,  "  and  you  will  be  a  marked  officer 
by  simply  letting  it  be  known  that  you  belong  to 
her,  you  know." 

11  I'd  rather  stay  here,  sir,"  cried  Boston,  his  face 
flushing  with  eager  desire.  "  I  wouldn't  be  happy 
even  at  home  if  the  Wasp  was  at  sea  doing  great 
things  and  I  was  not  in  her.  You  know,  sir,  we 
reefers  think  she  is  the  luckiest  ship  afloat,  and  we 
wouldn't  exchange  out  of  her  to  get  into  the  Consti- 
tution herself." 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  But  your  home,  you  know  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Captain  Blakely,"  said  Boston,  sadly,  "you 
know  I  have  no  real  home." 

"  There  is  the  commodore." 

"  Yes,  sir.  He  is  very  kind  to  me  and  very 
proud  of  me,"  answered  the  little  chap,  gravely, 
"  but  he  isn't  my  own  father,  you  know,  sir,  and 
since  I  have  been  out  on  this  cruise  especially,  I 
have  often  thought  of  it.  I  don't  know  whether  I 
was  born  on  the  ocean  or  not,  but  I  was  christened 
at  sea,  and  my  mother  was  buried  there.  You 
know  we're  running  down  toward  the  place  where 
I  was  picked  up,  and  maybe — maybe — something 
might  happen." 

"  My  lad,"  said  the  captain,  gravely,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder,  "  I  understand  your 
feelings.  Well,  you  shall  stay  with  me." 

"  Thank  you,  sir/"  said  the  boy,  his  face  breaking 
into  a  smile,  "  thank  you,  sir." 

"  But  I  can  give  you  no  hope  of  finding  out 
anything  down  here  about  your  people.  The 
ocean,  you  know,  is  a  big  place,  and  the  greatest 
ship  but  a  speck  upon  it,  much  less  a  human 
being." 

44 1  know  it,  sir,  but  I  have  had  a  sort  of  a  queer 
feeling,  ever  since  we  left  L'Orient,  that  I  might 
find  my  father,  or  he  me,  and  it  has  been  growing 
upon  me.  But  whether  I  do  or  not,  I  don't  want 
to  leave  the  Wasp  on  any  account,  sir.  I  don't 
want  to  leave  you,  either,"  he  went  on,  boldly. 

274 


LAST   LETTERS  HOME 

"  You  shall  not,  then.  I  will  let  Geisinger  take 
her  in  alone.  I  thought  I  was  doing  you  a  favor." 

"  No,  sir  ;  you  don't  favor  me  by  taking  me  away 
from  the  ship  as  long  as  she  is  afloat." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Blakely.  "  Run  along  now 
and  tell  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  pass  the  word  to 
knock  off  work  and  drills  and  let  all  hands  write 
letters,  and  do  you  write  yourself,  Mr.  Boston,  to 
old  Commodore  Little.  He  will  be  delighted  to 
hear  from  you." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  cried  the  delighted  boy,  saluting 
and  scampering  off  again. 

It  has  been  noted  that  the  average  education  of 
the  crew  was  much  higher  than  was  the  rule  on 
ships-of-war  of  the  period.  There  was  not  a  man 
aboard  the  Wasp  who  could  not  both  read  and 
write,  for  instance,  a  remarkable  thing  to  say  of  any 
ship  in  that  day,  though  some  of  them,  like  old  Jack 
Lang,  made  a  rather  poor  fist  of  it.  Consequently 
in  a  short  time  every  man-jack  of  the  crew  could  be 
seen  sprawling  about  on  the  decks,  wherever  he 
could  find  a  place,  laboriously  scratching  away  on 
paper  which  had  been  secured  from  the  purser's 
yeoman,  the  captain  having  directed  that  function- 
ary to  issue  it,  with  other  necessaries  for  letter-writ- 
ing, to  all  and  sundry  at  his  personal  charge. 
Down  in  the  cabin  the  ward-room  officers  were 
doing  the  same  thing,  and  in  the  steerage  an  un- 
wonted quiet  had  supervened  as  the  youngsters 
gathered  around  the  table  and  wrote  their  letters. 

275 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

The  officers  of  the  watch,  the  lookouts,  and  the 
men  at  the  wheel  were  relieved  in  time  to  permit 
them  to  enjoy  the  privilege  as  well.  Boston,  hav- 
ing finished  his  letter  and  being  off  watch,  went 
on  deck  and  sauntered  forward.  He  found  old  Jack 
Lang  leaning  over  the  rail  abaft  the  after  swifter  of 
the  starboard  shrouds,  meditatively  looking  at  the 
Atalanta,  the  captured  brig,  hove  to  a  short  dis- 
tance away. 

"  Written  your  letters,  Jack  ?  "  asked  the  boy. 

"Master  Ned,"  said  the  old  man,  using  the  famil- 
iar address,  seeing  they  were  alone,  the  nearest  peo- 
ple being  busy  in  the  slow  work  of  laboriously  writ- 
ing, unfamiliar  hands  making  what  a  sailor  would 
call  heavy  weather  of  it — "  Master  Ned,  I  ain't  writ 
none.  I  was  jest  a-thinkin'  that  there  ain't  nobody 
on  earth  that  I  kin  write  to.  The  ol'  woman  is 
dead  long  sence.  I  got  one  darter  that's  married, 
but  she  went  west  to  Kintucky  an'  I've  lost  sight 
of  her  fer  years.  I  doubt  but  that  she's  fergot  me. 
My  three  boys,  leastways  they're  grow'd  men  now, 
is  sailor-men,  an'  God  knows  where  they  is.  I 
don't.  It's  the  fate  of  him  wot  goes  down  to  the 
sea  in  ships,  as  I  hev  heered  the  Holy  Joe  on  the 
Constitution  say,  to  sarve  all  his  life  under  the  flag 
an'  hev  no  friends  in  the  endin'  of  it." 

"  Every  man  on  the  ship  is  your  friend,  Jack," 
said  Boston. 

"  Ay,  sir,  in  course.  But  the  life  of  a  sailor  is 
made  up  of  a  lot  of  long  cruises,  an'  a  different  lot 

276 


LAST    LETTERS    HOME 

of  friends,  or  enemies,  as  the  case  may  be,  for 
each  ship.  Once  off  the  ship,  they'd  all  forgit 
me." 

"  But  I  won't,  Jack,"  said  Boston,  affectionately, 
laying  his  hand  on  his  companion's  arm. 

The  old  man  literally  thrilled  with  pleasure  at  the 
touch  as  he  looked  down  at  the  boy  he  loved. 

"  No,  I  guess  not,  Master  Ned,"  he  said,  simply, 
"an'  no  more  I  won't  fergit  ye.  I  ain't  never  fer- 
got  you,  Master  Ned,  sence  I  fust  seed  ye  layin'  on 
the  floor  with  yer  dead  mammy  on  the  transom 
above  ye.  The  men  was  jeerin'  an'  laughin'  w'en 
they  heered  I  was  detailed  to  take  keer  on  ye,  but 
I  didn't  keer.  I  swore  to  yer  mother  that  I'd  do 
my  best  fer  ye,  an'  I've  done  it.  That  didn't  per- 
went  me  from  knockin'  up  some  of  the  men  who 
was  most  insultin'  pretty  severe  like.  So  I  reckon, 
arter  all,  you're  all  I've  got.  Sailor-men  don't  need 
no  home.  His  home's  his  ship,  an'  with  you  an'  the 
ship  here,  I  don't  need  to  write  no  letters." 

"  I  wish  somebody  could  tell  me  something  about 
my  mother  and  my  father,"  said  Ned.  "  I  keep 
thinking  more  and  more  about  them  all  the  time. 
It  wasn't  far  from  here  that  I  was  picked  up,  you 
know,  and  if  we  hold  our  present  course,  and  the 
captain  says  we  are  likely  to  do  it,  we'll  run  down 
to  the  very  spot.  Something  might  happen." 

"  It  mought,"  said  the  sailor. 

"  You  don't  think  it  will,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  can't  tell.  Mighty  strange 

277 


IN   THE  WASP'S   NEST 

things  often  happens  on  sea,  an'  perhaps  they  will 
ag'in.  I  hope  so  fer  your  sake,  anyway,  lad." 

"  I  hope  so,  too  ;  I  pray  so." 

"  Well,  wotever  happens  to  ye,  Master  Ned,  an* 
I  think  sometimes  you'll  turn  out  to  be  a-dook  or 
a  king,  or  somethin'  of  that  kind — "  went  on  the  old 
man,  vaguely,  impelled  thereto  by  his  admiration 
for  his  handsome  young  charge,  "you  won't  fergit 
yer  olf  friends,  an'  turn  yer  back  on  any  of  'em." 

"  Never  ! "  said  the  boy.  "  And  I  want  to  be 
nothing  but  a  plain  American  boy.  If  I  found  my 
father  and  he  turned  out  to  be  anything  else  I'd 
almost  be  sorry  I  ever  found  him,"  he  added,  pas- 
sionately. 

"  That's  the  true  blue,  my  little  hearty ! "  laughed 
the  old  man  ;  "there  ain't  no  dook  ner  king  that  I'm 
acquainted  with,  w'ich  I'll  admit  I  don't  know  werry 
many  of  the  sort,  that  ekals  the  man  that  kin  say  of 
the  flag  at  the  gaff-end  yonder,  'That's  mine ! ' ' 

"  All  you  that  have  yer  letters  writ,"  called  out 
the  boatswain's  mate  of  the  watch,  after  piping  for 
attention,  "bring  them  aft  to  the  mast.  Mail'll 
close  in  five  minutes.  So  bear  a  hand,  you  scrib- 
blers!" 

The  time  had  come  when  the  writing  of  the  mes- 
sages must  be  stopped  then.  There  was  a  prodig- 
ious hurry  to  get  the  letters  safely  in  their  envelopes, 
and  those  envelopes  properly  sealed  and  addressed, 
but  at  the  appointed  time  all  were  ready.  Geisinger, 

with  a  stout  canvas  mail-bag  stuffed  to   bursting 

278 


LAST   LETTERS   HOME 

with  messages  grave  and  gay,  to  officials,  mothers, 
fathers,  sweethearts,  wives,  and  children,  shook  hands 
with  his  captain,  touched  his  hat  to  the  colors, 
dropped  lightly  down  into  his  boat,  and  was  rowed 
over  to  the  Atalanta.  The  men  hung  over  the  rail 
watching  her  while  she  swung  her  yards  and  filled 
away. 

They  were  as  happy  as  successful  seamen  on  a 
lucky  and  well-found  ship,  commanded  by  a  humane 
captain,  and  officers  who  took  their  cues  from  him, 
could  well  be,  yet  there  were  many  full  hearts  and 
swimming  eyes,  which  they  would  have  died  rather 
than  show  to  their  shipmates,  as  they  gazed  upon 
the  little  brig  ripping  away  to  the  westward,  bound 
for  home.  And  there  would  have  been  wetter  eyes 
and  fuller  hearts,  and  more  longing  glances  cast 
after  her,  if  they  could  have  realized  that  the  little 
brig  carried  the  last  words  that  were  ever  to  be  re- 
ceived by  those  loved  ones  at  home  from  any  mem- 
ber of  the  crew,  save  two,  on  that  noble  little  ship. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

RUN    DOWN    AT   LAST 

THE  run  to  the  southwest  had  been  rather  un- 
eventful after  the  departure  of  the  Atalanta.  They 
picked  up  and  destroyed  one  or  two  small  prizes, 
but  they  were  not  disappointed  at  the  fact  that  they 
sighted  practically  no  ships,  for  they  were  not  yet 
on  the  track  in  which  the  captain  conceived  he 
would  be  apt  to  take  many  prizes.  One  little  hap- 
pening, however,  broke  the  monotony  of  their  trip 
very  pleasantly. 

In  latitude  18°  35'  north,  longitude  30°  10' 
west,  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  October,  they 
overhauled  a  Swedish  barque  bound  from  Rio 
Janeiro  to  England.  Mr.  Tillinghast  and  Ned 
Boston  boarded  her  with  the  third  cutter  to  over- 
haul her  papers.  Finding  her  belonging  to  a  neutral 
power  they  returned  to  the  ship  with  the  information 
for  Captain  Blakely  that  there  were  two  strangers 
on  board  of  her.  These  were  American  officers, 
who  had  belonged  to  the  United  States  frigate  Es- 
sex, Captain  David  Porter,  which  had  recently  been 
destroyed,  after  a  most  desperate  defence,  by  the 
British  frigate  Phcebe  and  the  corvette  Cherub. 

These  vessels  had  violated  the  neutrality  of  a  Chil- 

280 


RUN   DOWN   AT   LAST 

can  port  and  had  taken  the  Essex  at  a  great  disad- 
vantage. Lieutenants  Lyman  and  McKnight  had 
been  released  on  parole  and  were  endeavoring  to 
make  their  way  back  to  the  United  States  via  Brazil 
and  Europe. 

Blakely  was  delighted  to  receive  them,  and  a  boat 
was  sent  to  bring  them  to  the  Wasp,  which,  they 
were  informed,  would  sail  for  the  United  States  by 
the  end  of  the  month.  After  the  American  officers 
had  come  aboard  it  was  discovered  that  Lieutenant 
McKnight  had  left  his  writing-desk  on  the  Swedish 
vessel.  Signals  were  made  by  the  barque's  com- 
mander, the  Wasp  hove  to  again,  while  Boston  was 
sent  to  fetch  the  desk  and  papers.  Messrs.  McKnight 
and  Lyman  were  anxious  to  be  of  service,  but  their 
parole  prevented  them  from  being  regularly  placed 
on  the  Wasp's  papers  and  assigned  to  duty,  although, 
except  in  action,  they  did  watch  duty  as  volunteers. 

A  few  days  after  this  occurrence  the  Wasp  ran 
into  a  hot,  low-hanging,  heavy  fog,  which  persisted 
in  covering  the  ocean  for  several  days.  There  was 
little  or  no  wind  and  she  was  practically  becalmed 
in  a  tropical  sea.  So  far  as  seeing  anything,  they 
might  have  been  under  a  gray  blanket,  for  the  fog 
was  so  thick  that  they  could  not  distinguish  the 
forecastle  from  the  quarter-deck ;  nor  could  they 
hear  anything  either,  although  the  best  men  were 
kept  constantly  on  watch,  with  ears  alert,  to  catch 
every  possible  sound. 

Shortly  after  noon  of  the  third  day  of  the  fog,  the 

281 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

lookout — or  the  "  hear  out "  would  perhaps  better 
describe  him — on  the  main  topsail  yard  detected 
two  faint  notes  of  a  ship's  bell  coming  down  the 
wind.  The  fog  was  thinning  somewhat  and  gave 
promise  of  lifting  altogether  before  the  night,  but 
it  was  still  too  thick  to  permit  one  to  see  farther 
than  a  cable's  length  from  the  ship.  What  breeze 
there  was  came  in  fitful  catspaws  from  the  direction 
in  which  they  had  heard  the  sound  of  a  bell. 

As  soon  as  the  first  notes  had  been  reported  to 
him,  Blakely  had  ordered  that  the  Wasp's  bell  should 
not  be  struck  and  that  everybody  should  keep  silent 
about  the  decks  under  pain  of  his  severest  displeas- 
ure. The  Wasp,  therefore,  so  far  as  humanity  was 
concerned,  was  as  still  as  death.  The  officers  and 
men  clustered  about  what  had  been  the  weather-rail 
when  there  had  been  any  wind,  eagerly  listening, 
and  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  creaking  of 
the  timbers,  the  straining  of  the  cordage,  and  the 
flapping  of  the  topsails  as  the  Wasp  slowly  rolled 
to  and  fro  in  the  leaden,  glassy  sea. 

The  captain  sometimes  spoke  in  low  tones  to  the 
officers  congregated  near  him,  and  Ned  Boston  and 
Jack  Lang,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  maintop  at 
the  time,  exchanged  confidences  in  whispers. 

"  D'ye  hear  that  sound,  Master  Ned  ?  "  asked  the 
old  man,  "  it's  nigher'n  it  was  w'en  we  fust  heered 
it." 

"  How  can  that  be  ?  "  answered  Boston.  "  There's 
no  wind." 

282 


RUN   DOWN   AT   LAST 

"  But  didn't  you  never  hear  that  ships  in  a  ca'm 
naterally  drift  down  to  each  other  ?  Wait  till  ye 
hear  the  next  bell." 

The  half  hours  between' the  bells  had  never  seemed 
so  long  as  on  that  afternoon,  but  as  the  successive 
periods  were  rung  it  was  evident,  even  to  ears  less 
keen  than  those  of  the  chief  boatswain's  mate,  that 
the  ship  with  the  bell  was  slowly  drawing  nearer. 
They  also  guessed  from  the  tone  of  the  bell  that  it 
was  a  large  one,  and  naturally  inferred  that  it  was 
hung  on  a  heavy  ship — a  frigate,  probably. 

There  was  something  uncanny  and  unsettling  in 
the  sound  of  that  bell  ringing  out  through  the  fog 
and  drawing  steadily  nearer,  yet  there  was  nothing 
that  could  be  done.  The  wind  had  apparently  fallen 
to  a  dead  calm,  save  for  a  very  fitful  puff  at  very 
rare  intervals,  which  seemed  to  the  advantage  of  the 
stranger.  For  one  thing,  to  their  great  relief,  it  was 
gradually  growing  lighter  about  them.  As  old  Jack 
whispered  to  the  boy  : 

"It  won't  be  long  afore  the  sky  clears  an'  we  kin 
see  wot's  yon." 

Indeed,  about  eight  bells  in  the  afternoon,  the  fog 
had  so  far  gone  that  Jack,  who  had  been  staring 
steadily  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  was  at  last 
convinced  that  he  saw  the  ship. 

"  Off  there,  sir  !  "  he  pointed,  clutching  the  mid- 
shipman by  the  arm,  and  whispering  fiercely  in  his 
intense  excitement,  "  Don't  you  see  it !  It's  a 

ship  !     See  !     The  mist  thins  !     She  rises  !     Yon's 

283 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

a  tops'l !  By  the  Lord,  it's  a  frigate !  It's  no 
American  ship  nuther  ! " 

"I  see  it,"  Boston  whispered,  staring  intently 
along  the  seaman's  outstretched  arm. 

"  Shall  I  sing  out  ?"  asked  the  old  man. 

"  By  no  means,"  answered  the  boy.  "  I'll  slide 
down  the  back-stay  and  inform  the  captain." 

He  swung  his  legs  over  the  rim  of  the  top,  and  in 
an  instant  slipped  down  the  back-stay  and  dropped 
in  the  gangway.  He  ran  aft  as  fast  as  he  could  go, 
and  dashed  unceremoniously  up  the  poop-ladder  in 
his  haste. 

"  A  sail,  sir  !  We've  seen  it !  "  he  said,  touching 
his  cap.  "  Off  the  starboard  quarter,  yonder.  We 
made  her  tops'ls  out.  It's  a  heavy  frigate." 

"  Who  was  in  the  top  with  you  ?  " 

"Lang,  sir." 

"What  does  he  say  ?" 

"  He  says  it's  no  American  frigate,  sir." 

"He  ought  to  know,"  said  Blakely,  pressing  his 
lips  with  anxiety.  "Lord!"  he  muttered,  "for  a 
bit  of  wind  !  Mr.  Reilly,"  he  added,  turning  to  his 
most  trusted  officer,  "  go  you  aloft,  sir,  with  a  glass 
and  see  what  you  can  make  of  it." 

As  Reilly  seized  the  telescope  and  sprang  into 
the  starboard  mizzen  shrouds  Blakely  looked  over 
at  the  quartermaster  standing  at  the  wheel. 

"  Any  steerage  way  ?  "  he  questioned. 

"  No,  sir,"  was  the  low  reply. 

"  Of  course  not,"  he  muttered,  glancing  over  the 

284 


t 
RUN    DOWN   AT   LAST 

side  and  seeing  how  absolutely  motionless  the  ship 
lay,  the  sails  hanging  flat  against  the  mast  with  a 
lifeless  droop  that  bespoke  their  utter  present  inu- 
tility. 

"  If  it  clears  this  way,"  the  captain  said,  softly,  to 
Mr.  Tillinghast,  "we  shall  be  able  to  see  her  from 
the  deck  soon." 

"  I  think  I  can  make  her  out  now,"  said  Tilling- 
hast, who  had  been  staring  to  windward,  "  that  blur 
yonder  !  Isn't  that  a  ship,  sir?" 

"  I  believe  it  is,"  said  the  captain,  looking  in  turn, 
and  taking  off  his  hat  and  wiping  the  sweat  from  his 
forehead. 

At  this  moment  Reilly  came  down  from  aloft. 

"  '  Tis  a  large  frigate,  sir.  Well  out  of  range  to 
starboard.  It  looks  like  an  English  frigate.  There 
she  is ! "  he  cried,  suddenly  pointing  through  the 
thinning  mist  to  where  the  ship  rose  gray  and 
wraithlike  before  them. 

Officers  and  men  alike  stared  at  the  stranger. 
As  is  often  the  case,  the  fog,  which  had  been  so 
slowly  disappearing,  suddenly  vanished  at  last  as  if 
by  magic.  There,  on  the  starboard  quarter,  lay  a 
large  frigate,  an  English  frigate  without  doubt,  one 
of  the  new  design  which  had  been  built  since  the 
war  began,  and  on  American  lines,  too,  to  cope 
with  the  American  ships  of  the  Constitution  class. 

The  Wasp  was  absolutely  helpless  before  her. 
She  could  have  engaged  three,  and  at  a  pitch,  four , 
like  the  American  sloop  with  fair  chance  of  success. 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Fortunately  for  the  Wasp,  the  frigate  was  far  out 
of  range  now,  even  of  her  longest  and  heaviest 
guns,  and  for  the  present  the  American  was  safe. 

The  Englishmen  sighted  the  Wasp,  of  course, 
nearly  as  soon  as  they  had  been  observed.  Con- 
cealment being  useless,  Blakely,  in  order  to  try  his 
companion,  immediately  hoisted  the  English  flag. 
The  stranger  retorted  by  displaying  American 
colors.  Blakely  therefore  hoisted  a  Spanish  ensign, 
and  the  ship  returned  with  the  French  tricolor. 
After  several  moments  of  this  amusing  game,  how- 
ever, the  English  vessel  flew  a  set  of  signals,  which 
the  Wasp,  of  course,  was  unable  to  answer.  To 
mystify  him  Blakely  set  some  signals  which  meant 
nothing.  But  he  soon  tired  of  this  trifling  play 
and,  hauling  down  his  mock  signals,  set  his  own 
American  flag,  whereupon  the  frigate  flung  out  the 
English  colors,  and  the  several  flags  were  thereafter 
allowed  to  float  over  the  respective  vessels. 

They  drifted  along  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
late  afternoon,  gradually  drawing  nearer  to  each 
other  as  they  lay  in  the  dead  calm.  At  the  rate 
they  were  drifting  together  the  Wasp  would  be 
within  gunshot  range  of  the  British  before  morning. 
There  was  now  not  a  breath  of  air  stirring.  .  The 
sun  was  setting,  a  dim,  lurid,  coppery  ball.  The  sea 
was  like  greasy  glass,  leaden  and  oily-looking. 

The  weather  indications  were  ominous  and 
threatening.  The  oldest  and  most  experienced 

seamen,  like  Lang,  were  sure   that  the  conditions 

286 


RUN   DOWN   AT   LAST 

foreboded  one  of  those  terrific  storms  which  are 
prevalent  in  the  fall  in  those  latitudes.  As  the  sun 
sank  duller  and  more  malignant  in  its  appearance 
than  any  of  them  had  ever  seen  it,  Blakely  decided 
upon  a  course  which  he  had  been  considering  all 
afternoon. 

He  deliberately  took  in  sail.  The  sails  were 
doing  him  no  good  anyway,  and  if  the  anticipated 
storm  struck  him  suddenly  and  caught  him  with 
everything  set,  the  Wasp  would  either  go  down  all 
standing,  or  else  the  masts  would  be  ripped  out  of 
her,  andx  the  end  would  be  the  same  if  he  were  to 
lose  control  of  his  ship  in  the  heavy  sea.  Therefore 
he  calmly  furled  his  royals  and  top-gallantsails,  took 
in  his  mizzen  topsail,  furled  the  mainsail,  took  two 
reefs  in  his  fore  and  maintop  sails,  double-reefed  the 
foresail,  and  set  his  fore  staysail.  Then  he  sent 
down  his  royal  and  top-gallant  yards  and  housed 
his  top-gallant  masts. 

Having  thus  stripped  his  ship,  he  next  sent  his 
crew  to  quarters  and  double-shotted  the  carronades 
with  a  stand  of  grape  and  a  solid  shot.  The  guns 
were  then  secured  and  he  ordered  out  his  boats. 

So  long  as  they  could  see  them  the  English  ship 
had  followed  their  movements  exactly.  Her  cap- 
tain also  disliked  the  weather  indications  as  much  as 
the  American  and  concluded  it  was  the  part  of  wis- 
dom to  take  similar  precautions.  By  this  time  it 
seemed  to  the  Americans  sufficiently  dark  to  pre- 
vent the  Englishmen  from  ascertaining  what  they 

287 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

were  doing.  Therefore  Blakely  dropped  his  boats 
in  the  water  and  began  to  tow  the  ship  away  from 
the  proximity  of  her  huge  and  dangerous  enemy. 
The  English  captain  was  equally  resourceful,  how- 
ever. Divining  his  antagonist's  purpose,  he  also 
manned  the  boats  of  the  frigate  and  started  after 
him.  For  at  least  two  hours  this  arduous  work  was 
kept  up  in  the  early  night.  So  violent  was  the 
exertion  in  the  hot,  humid  air,  that  the  Wasp's 
sturdy  crew  were  almost  prostrated  by  it. 

Blakely  finally  called  in  the  boats,  deeming  that 
he  had  perhaps  succeeded  in  shaking  off  the  frigate 
He  could  neither  see  nor  hear  anything  of  her  in 
the  darkness.  It  was  as  black  as  pitch  overhead, 
not  a  star  showing.  The  men  lay  on  the  deck  pant- 
ing like  dogs,  with  their  tongues  hanging  out  of 
their  mouths  in  the  heat,  from  the  violent  labor. 
The  officers,  too,  were  almost  as  worn  out  as  the 
men.  They  had  taken  their  turns  in  the  cutters, 
relieving  some  overdone  men  at  the  terrible  work 
at  the  oars. 

Blakely  hoped  he  had  escaped,  and  he  would  have 
done  so,  for  the  crew  of  the  frigate  were  not  able 
to  tow  that  huge  ship  with  the  same  rapidity  that 
the  Americans  could  pull  the  smaller  and  lighter 
Wasp  along,  but  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  a  faint 
breeze  sprang  up.  The  frigate  caught  it  some  time 
before  the  Wasp,  and,  although  it  was  pitch  dark 
and  not  a  light  was  shown  on  either  vessel,  by  some 

strange  chance  the  English  ship  had  kept  right  on 

288 


RUN   DOWN   AT   LAST 

the  heels  of  the  American.  Her  boats  had  been 
overhauled  and  run  up  to  the  davits  without  check- 
ing her  way  after  the  wind  had  struck  her,  and  be- 
fore the  catspaw  had  fairly  reached  the  Wasp  the 
black  mass  of  the  frigate  loomed  out  on  the  weather 
quarter  close  aboard. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE    END   OF    THE    WASP 

BLAKELY  was  caught.  Luck  had  deserted  the 
Wasp  and  had  favored  her  enemy.  He  could  do 
nothing  more  to  escape. 

"  Lads,"  he  said  to  his  crew,  "  yon  ship  is  an  en- 
emy. She  has  overhauled  us.  We  can't  get  away. 
Shall  I  strike  our  flag  ?  We  have  no  chance  with 
her,  you  know,  once  she  gets  alongside.  Or  will 
you  stand  by  me  ?  " 

"Strike  the  enemy,  blast  her,  Cap'n  Blakely!" 
roared  old  Jack  Lang. 

"  Don't  give  up  the  ship,  sir ! "  cried  a  second 
man. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  that's  the  talk  ! "  yelled  another. 

"  We'll  stand  by  you,  sir ! "  shouted  Billy  Bowline. 

"  We'll  show  the  frigate  that  she  can't  tackle  us," 
yelled  a  fourth. 

"  We'll  give  them  Reindeer  play,"  thundered  an- 
other. 

The  ship  was  filled  with  enthusiastic  shouts  of 
confident  defiance. 

"Wot !"  continued  old  Jack,  when  he  could  be 
heard.  "  Give  up  the  sassy  little  Wasp  to  any  thin' 

that  floats!   I'd  ruther  sink  alongside.    Eh,  mates?" 

290 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

"  Jack's  right,"  cried  the  men.  "  We'll  fight  her  till 
she  sinks." 

"  Well  done,"  roared  Blakely,  in  triumph  at  the 
resolution  of  his  brave  crew.  "Man  the  starboard 
battery !  Cast  loose  and  provide !  Lively !  No 
firing  until  I  give  the  word  !  " 

The  English  ship  did  not  waste  any  time  in  pre- 
liminaries. As  soon  as  she  was  fairly  abreast  a 
blaze  of  light  from  one  of  the  long  heavy  guns  of 
her  broadside  shivered  the  blackness  and  a  twenty- 
four-pound  shot  came  ripping  over  the  quarter  of 
the  Wasp  in  the  darkness  to  leeward. 

"  That's  the  way  they  shoot,  lads  ! "  cried  Blakely, 
cheerily.  "  No  harm's  done." 

But  he  had  scarcely  spoken  the  words  before  an 
entire  broadside  came  hurtling  aboard.  Most  of 
the  shot  were  badly  aimed  in  the  darkness,  but  some 
of  them  found  a  mark,  and  the  crashing  of  timber 
was  succeeded  by  screams  of  agony,  and  some  there 
were  who  were  hit  who  never  screamed  again. 

"Keep  fast  the  battery !"  yelled  Blakely,  seeing 
that  he  was  not  yet  in  good  working  range  of  his 
smaller  carronades.  "  She  is  nearing  us  every 
minute.  Avast  until  we  get  well  within  range  of 
her!" 

The  English  ship  came  up  handily  now  and 
poured  another  broadside,  which  did  much  more 
damage. 

"  God  ! "  groaned  Blakely.     "  This  is  terrible  ! " 

The  silence  on  the  Wasp  seemed  to  puzzle  the 

291 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Englishman,  however,  for  he  sheered  in  closer  by 
shifting  his  helm  and  hailed. 

"  We're  in  good  range  now,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Carr, 
looking  out  into  the  darkness  between  the  two 
ships. 

41  This  is  His  Britannic  Majesty's  frigate  Diomede, 
forty,  Captain  Philip  L'Estrange.  Do  you  strike 
your  flag  ?  "  cried  the  Britisher  in  the  black  dark. 

"  Stand  by,  lads ! "  roared  Blakely,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder.  "  Fire  ! " 

The  whole  broadside  of  the  Wasp  was  hurled  slap 
dash  into  the  British  ship  at  close  range.  It  was  in- 
stantly answered  by  another.  The  nine  thirty-two- 
pounder  carronades  in  the  Wasp's  battery  did  much 
damage  aboard  the  English  frigate,  but  the  return 
tempest  of  iron  that  was  poured  upon  the  devoted 
American  from  the  twenty-six  odd  broadside  guns 
of  the  frigate  did  terrible  execution.  The  heavy 
bolts  from  the  forty-two-pound  carronades  simply 
smashed  her  into  bits.  The  two  ships  exchanged 
broadsides  again  and  again. 

After  ten  minutes  of  close  fighting  Mr.  Baury 
was  killed,  Mr.  Reilly  was  severely  wounded,  a 
grape-shot  struck  little  Boston  in  the  arm,  breaking 
it  and  hurling  him  down  where  he  stood  on  the 
quarter-deck.  He  had  been  detailed  from  the  top 
to  be  the  captain's  aide  that  night.  Mr.  Knight,  who 
had  passed  through  the  terrible  slaughter  on  the 
Essex,  was  literally  swept  overboard  by  a  heavy  shot 

which  struck  him  fair  in  the  chest  and  tore  him  to 

292 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

pieces,  and  Mr.  Lyman  was  struck  down.  The 
Wasp's  crew  was  decimated  by  the  first  discharges, 
and  the  subsequent  mortality  among  them  was  fear- 
ful. 

"Oh,  God!  This  is  awful! "cried  Blakely,  in 
agony  as  he  saw  the  effect  of  the  enemy's  fire. 

Perhaps  to  save  the  useless  slaughter  of  his  crew 
he  might  have  struck  his  flag,  although  the  Eng- 
lish could  not  have  seen  it  come  down.  He  would 
never  have  surrendered  on  his  own  account,  how- 
ever, for  no  braver  man  ever  lived  than  Johnston 
Blakely.  But  such  was  the  tremendous  noise  of 
the  battle,  for  the  ships  were  near  enough  for  small 
arms  to  be  effectively  used,  that  no  signals  would 
have  been  seen  and  no  voice  heard,  he  simply  could 
not  strike.  The  only  thing  that  would  suffice  to 
notify  the  other  side  that  the  Wasp  had  surrendered, 
if  she  did,  would  have  been  the  virtual  stoppage  of 
her  fire. 

But  the  men  at  the  guns  had  no  thought  of  stop- 
ping. They  loaded  and  served  the  carronades  as 
they  had  never  been  served  before.  Broadside  after 
broadside  they  pluckily  sent  into  the  frigate.  Shot 
came  sweeping  through  the  Wasp's  ports,  sometimes 
a  single  one  taking  off  half  a  gun  crew.  Some  of 
the  carronades  were  dismounted,  but  those  of  their 
crews  left  alive  united  upon  other  guns  to  keep  up 
the  battle. 

The  deck  was  filled  with  dead  and  dying.  No 
attempt  could  be  made  to  care  for  the  wounded. 

293 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Those  seriously  hurt  suffered  or  died  where  they 
fell.  Those  of  the  wounded  able  to  move  about, 
under  the  tremendous  exigency  went  to  the  guns 
again.  Even  the  surgeon  and  his  mates  deserted 
the  cock-pit  and  lent  a  hand. 

But  against  such  disparity  or  odds  nothing  would 
avail ;  gallantry,  courage,  resolution,  all  were  useless. 
The  reply  of  the  Americans  grew  fainter  and  fainter, 
as  gun  after  gun  went  out  of  action,  either  because 
it  was  dismounted  or  because  there  were  no  men 
left  to  serve  it.  The  Wasp  herself  was  a  ruin.  An- 
other broadside  or  two  and  she  would  be  sunk  where 
she  lay. 

Suddenly  the  fire  of  the  English  frigate  stopped. 
The  last  gun  discharged  from  her  had  been  loaded 
with  grape-shot  and  one  of  them  had  hit  Blakely 
fair  in  the  breast,  inflicting  a  mortal  wound.  But 
the  young  captain  caught  a  stay  before  he  fell,  and 
held  himself  erect  for  a  few  moments.  Naturally 
the  Wasp's  fire  had  stopped,  too— there  was  noth- 
ing left  to  fire  with. 

A  sudden,  sharp  hail  came  down  from  the  Eng- 
lish ship.  They  were  so  close  now  that  the  few  re- 
maining men  of  the  Wasp  could  easily  hear  what 
was  said. 

"  Look  alive  ! "  the  voice  shouted  out  of  the 
darkness,  a  note  of  terror  and  alarm  thrilling 
through  it.  "  See  yonder  !  The  storm  !  Up  with 
your  helm ! " 

It  was  a  message  of  advice  and  warning  from  the 

294 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

English  ship  to  the  American  corvette  they  had  been 
doing  their  best  to  destroy. 

"  Shiver  my  timbers !  "  screamed  old  Jack  Lang, 
rising  from  the  deck  where  he  had  been  hurled  by  a 
shot  which  had  grazed  his  forehead  and  stunned  him 
for  a  moment.  "  Look  yonder  ! " 

Away  off  to  windward  the  sky  was  clear  overhead. 
Sudden  lights  twinkled  in  the  heavens.  They  were 
stars.  The  black  clouds  that  had  hung  like  a  pall 
had  been  torn  asunder  as  if  by  a  mighty  hand,  and 
the  wind  was  coming.  As  they  stared  at  the  stars 
they  suddenly  went  out  again  in  a  white  smother 
of  spray  and  foam.  The  hurricane  was  about  to 
break  upon  them  !  It  would  be  dreadfully  danger- 
ous for  the  Wasp  to  try  to  scud  before  the  tempest 
in  her  position,  but  could  she  be  brought  by  the 
wind  ? 

"  Hard  down  with  the  helm  !  "  instantly  cried 
Blakely,  forgetting  his  death-wound  and  everything 
else  for  the  moment,  with  every  instinct  of  a  sailor 
at  his  command. 

"  The  wheel's  shot  away,  sir,"  answered  a  faint 
voice  from  the  deck. 

"  Jump  to  the  relieving  tackles  !  For  your  lives, 
men  !  "  roared  Blakely.  "  Round  in  those  weather 
fore  braces  !  Brace  up  the  mizzen  topsail ! " 

"The  mizzen  topmast  is  gone,  sir,"  cried  Lang. 

"  Get  a  pull  on  these  fore  braces  then." 

"  Carried  away,  sir,"  said  another  voice. 

"  Ah,  well,"  whispered  Blakely.  "  It's  all  over ! " 

295 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

At  that  instant  the  storm  struck  them.  The  Eng- 
lish ship,  with  her  huge  scantlings  and  massive  spars, 
although  badly  damaged  and  cut  up,  and  having 
lost  many  men,  had  not  suffered  like  the  Wasp.  As 
the  storm  struck  her  she  put  her  helm  down  and 
swung  up  to  the  wind.  There  was  one  breathless, 
fearful  moment  aboard  her  to  discover  if  anything 
essential  should  part,  but  everything  held  and  she 
lay  safe  for  the  present. 

Meanwhile  upon  the  poor  Wasp,  not  answering 
her  helm  and  deprived  of  her  after-sail  and  unable 
to  brace  her  yards  up,  fell  the  full  force  of  the  tem- 
pest. There  was  nothing  to  do  but  scud — that  is, 
run  before  it.  The  few  men  left  were  at  the  reliev- 
ing tackles  doing  their  best  to  control  the  uneasy 
ship,  jumping  and  swinging  from  side  to  side  in  the 
driving  hurricane.  The  strain  was  tremendous  upon 
them.  They  could  scarcely  steer  her. 

Blakely  now  sank  down  on  deck  at  the  break  of 
the  poop  above  the  wheel.  He  was  almost  done 
for. 

"  Is  there  any  one  left  alive  here  ?  "  he  called  out 
brokenly. 

"  My  arm  is  broken,  sir,"  said  little  Boston,  "  but 
I'm  here  at  your  orders/' 

"Well  done,  lad,"  gasped  the  captain,  faintly. 
"  I've  got  a  bullet  in  the  breast  that  does  for  me. 
Juran  to  the  main  deck  and  see  if  you  can  find  an 
officer  unhurt." 

&lowlv  Boston  made  his  way  to  the  battery. 

296 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

Presently  he  came  across  Mr.  Tillinghast,  wounded, 
but  able  to  move  about,  and  old  Jack  Lang. 

"  The  captain  is  mortally  wounded,"  gulped  out 
the  boy,  putting  his  ear  close  to  the  two  men,  "  he 
wants  you  on  the  poop." 

The  two  followed  after,  old  Jack  pressing  Bos- 
ton's unwounded  hand  with  his  own.  Indeed  the 
boy  was  so  faint  that  the  old  man  almost  carried 
him  at  last. 

"  What  of  the  ship  ?  "  gasped  Blakely,  as  the  two 
men  and  the  boy  struggled  over  to  him. 

"  She's  lost,  sir,"  said  old  Jack,  solemnly.  "  There 
ain't  a  dozen  men  left  alive  on  her,  an'  they're  at  the 
relievin'  tackles.  Mr.  Boston,"  said  the  old  man, 
"  be  ye  hurt  badly  ?  " 

"  I  think  my  arm's  broken,  Jack,"  sobbed  the 
boy,  "but  I'm  all  right." 

"  There  is  nothing  to  do,  Tillinghast,  is  there  ?  " 
asked  the  captain.  "  I  can't  see,  I'm  done  for." 

"Nothing." 

"  Are  they  all  gone  ?  Reilly,  Baury,  my  boys, 
the  men  ?  " 

"  All,  sir." 

"God  have  mercy  on  them." 

The  ship  was  still  racing  along  at  a  tremendous 
speed  before  the  fearful  tempest.  Fortunately  the 
foremast  and  foretopmast  still  held.  The  mizzen 
topmast  had  gone  early  in  the  action,  and  the  main 
topmast  was  shaky.  The  ship  steered  uneasily,  and 
the  work  of  the  few  exhausted  men  at  the  relieving 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

tackles  grew  harder.  The  wounded  left  alive  stilled 
their  groans  before  the  coming  catastrophe  and 
waited.  The  Wasp  would  either  broach  to  or  be 
brought  by  her  lee  in  a  few  moments.  In  either 
case  the  end  would  be  swift  and  certain.*  Blakely 
lay  on  his  deck  like  a  Viking  of  old,  while  his  ship, 
with  her  cargo  of  dead,  dying,  and  devoted,  raced  on 
before  the  storm. 

"  She  can't  outlast  this  long,"  he  muttered. 
44  Well,  thank  God  we  never  struck  the  flag.  Little 
Boston,  you  ought  to  have  gone  home.  Mr.  Til- 
linghast " 

On  a  sudden  there  came  a  brief  lull. 

44  What's  that  ?  "  cried  the  captain,  fearfully,  rais- 
ing himself  on  his  hand. 

44  Stand  by ! "  roared  Lang,  who  knew  what  it 
boded. 

The  next  second,  with  a  crash  like  a  thousand 
thunder-bolts,  the  wind  veered  and  fell  upon  them 
again. 

44  She's  brought  by  the  lee  !  God  help  us,"  shouted 
the  old  sailor,  and  the  next  instant,  with  everything 
flat  aback,  the  Wasp  began  to  heave  over  to  star- 
board and  down  aft. 

*  "To  broach  to  is  to  incline  suddenly  to  windward  of  the  ship's  course, 
so  as  to  present  her  side  to  the  wind,  and  endanger  her  oversetting.  The 
difference  between  broaching  to  and  bringing  by  the  lee  may  be  thus  de- 
nned. Suppose  a  ship  under  great  sail  is  steering  south,  having  the  wind  at 
N.  N.  W. ;  then,  west  is  the  weather  side,  and  east  is  the  lee  side.  If,  by 
any  accident,  her  head  turns  round  to  the  westward,  so  that  her  sails  are  all 
taken  aback  on  the  weather  side,  she  is  said  to  broach  to.  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, her  head  declines  so  far  eastward  as  to  lay  her  sails  aback  on  that 
side,  which  was  the  lee  side,  it  is  called  bringing  by  the  lee." 

298 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

44  We're  aback,  we're  aback ! "  he  cried,  and  the 
appeal  penetrated  the  ear  of  the  dying  sailor  captain. 
True  to  his  instinct,  he  gave  the  right  commands  in 
the  fatal  emergency. 

"  Hard  aport ! "  he  shouted,  in  a  voice  of  amazing 
strength.  "  Man  the  starboard  braces  fore  and  aft ! 
Rise  foretack  and  sheet !  Clear  away  the  head 
bowlines !  Brace  full  the  head  yards !  Shiver  in 
aft !  Lively,  men,  lively,  for  God's  sake  !  Save  the 
ship  !  For  God's  sake !  God " 

It  was  his  last  word.  The  life-blood  gushed  from 
his  lips  as  he  spoke  it. 

Alas,  there  were  few  to  hear  his  orders,  none  able 
to  carry  them  out,  and  no  means  of  doing  it  on  that 
wrecked  ship  had  there  been  many.  As  she  lay 
over  to  starboard  the  water  streamed  into  her  vitals 
through  her  riven  sides.  The  maintopmast  carried 
away  with  a  crash,  but  the  stout  foretopmast  held 
like  an  iron  column. 

The  ship  lifted,  lifted,  lifted.  The  water  came 
rippling  over  the  deck.  It  was  awash.  Now  the 
taff-rail  touched  the  water-line.  A  wave  came  flood- 
ing in,  enfolding  dead  Blakely  in  a  rippling  caress- 
The  forward  sails  lay  against  the  mast  as  flat  and  as 
hard  as  sheets  of  steel.  Nothing  carried  away.  By 
a  miracle  the  fire  of  the  English  frigate  had  spared 
the  fore  part  of  the  ship.  Nothing  could  save  her 
now.  She  was  going  down  !  Mr.  Tillinghast  had 
run  forward  to  see  what  could  be  done  at  the  cap- 
tain's cry,  and  he  and  the  remainder  of  the  crew 

299 


IN   THE   WASPS   NEST 

were   huddled   together  on   the    top-gallant   fore- 
castle. 

Aft  on  the  poop-deck  lay  the  dead  body  of  the 
young  captain,  with  little  Boston  and  Jack  Lang. 

"  He's  gone,"  sobbed  the  little  boy,  bending  over 
his  beloved  captain. 

"  Ay,  an'  his  ship's  gone  ! "  cried  the  old  sailor. 

Suddenly  he  clasped  the  lad  in  one  arm,  seized  a 
couple  of  hatch  gratings  in  his  other,  and  leaped  far 
out  to  leeward.  At  the  same  instant  the  foretop- 
mast  gave  way  at  last  under  the  pressure.  The  fear- 
ful wind  drove  it  clear  of  the  ship  as  if  it  had  been 
a  straw.  It  struck  near  where  the  sailor  was  strug- 
gling in  the  waters  with  the  dead  weight  of  the  boy 
in  his  arms.  A  violent  blow  nearly  wrenched  little 
Boston  away  from  him.  The  loss  of  the  topmast 
relieved  the  pressure  forward,  and,  had  it  come  ear- 
lier, might  have  saved  the  ship  temporarily,  but  it 
was  too  late  now. 

Under  the  bright  starlight  the  old  man  dragged 
the  body  of  the  lad  up  on  the  spar,  held  him  there, 
while  he  watched  the  tidy  little  Wasp  sink  beneath 
the  sea.  She  went  down  with  all  hands,  except 
himself  and  the  midshipman,  aboard  of  her.  She 
went  down  into  the  deep  with  her  cargo  of  dead  and 
dying  and  living,  with  her  flag  that  had  never  been 
struck  fluttering  at  the  gaff  end,  and  her  captain 
dead  upon  her  decks. 

The  two  were  left  alone  in  that  awful  sea.  Fort- 
unately, the  force  of  the  hurricane  was  as  yet  so 

300 


THE   END   OF   THE  WASP 

tremendous  that  the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth, 
flattened  out,  as  it  were,  by  the  tempest.  Lang 
dragged  the  yard,  which  was  swinging  loose  along- 
side the  mast,  lashed  the  boy  to  the  spar,  and  took  a 
turn  about  his  own  waist  to  make  himself  secure, 
with  some  of  the  trailing  rope. 

"  Master  Ned,"  he  asked,  piteously,  in  the  dark- 
ness, "  be  ye  hurt,  sir  ? " 

"  I  think,"  murmured  the  boy  feebly,  "that  some- 
thing must  have  struck  me  as  I  fell.  I  can't  talk," 
he  muttered.  "  Wait  till  morning." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE   CASTAWAYS 

A  LEADEN  sky  and  an  angry  sea. 

A  shattered  spar  adrift  in  the  tossing  waves ;  two 
human  mites  in  a  waste  of  water,  clinging  tenacious- 
ly to  the  last  bit  of  what  had  once  been  a  gallant 
ship.  A  blue-eyed,  sunny-haired  boy,  some  of  the 
light  vanished  from  his  eyes,  some  of  the  color  gone 
from  his  cheek.  A  night  of  battle,  of  storm,  of 
anguish  mental  and  physical,  long  thoughts  of  a 
foundered  ship,  a  dying  captain,  lost  comrades,  on 
the  one  hand ;  and,  on  the  other,  the  pain  of  an  arm 
broken  by  a  grape-shot,  a  little  body  that  had  been 
sorely  battered  by  the  waves  which  had  dashed  him 
against  the  spar  and  even  now  swept  over  him  from 
time  to  time — that  was  little  Boston's  case. 

And  the  other  bit  of  human  flotsam  ?  Over  the 
brave  little  midshipman,  who  was  stifling  his  moans 
and  bearing  his  pain  like  the  little  hero  he  was, 
leaned  the  old  sailor,  who  loved  the  youth  more  than 
life  itself.  All  the  terrible  happenings  of  the  last 
hours  of  the  cruise  were  forgotten,  lost  in  the  con- 
suming anxiety  of  old  Jack  Lang  for  his  young 
companion. 

With  the  trailing  gearing  of  the  top-mast  and  the 

302 


THE   CASTAWAYS 

remains  of  the  top-sail,  with  parts  of  the  yard,  and 
with  one  or  two  other  bits  of  timber,  the  old  man 
had  made  a  sort  of  rude  raft.  He  had  lashed  the 
pieces  together  with  a  seaman's  skill,  even  in  the 
darkness  of  the  long  night.  It  was  big  enough  to 
allow  the  boy  to  lie  straight  and  to  keep  the  spar 
from  being  rolled  over  and  over  by  the  swirling, 
tossing  seas. 

On  this  raft  the  little  chap  was  lashed,  his  head 
resting  on  the  old  man's  jacket,  and  a  turn  of  rope 
taken  about  Lang's  own  mighty  waist  also  served  to 
keep  him  from  being  swept  away.  When  he  had 
made  such  arrangements  at  night  as  their  situation 
permitted  he  had  taken  the  lad  tenderly  in  his  arms 
and  had  laid  himself  down  on  the  little  raft  with  his 
huge  body  to  windward,  trying  to  shelter  him  if  he 
could  from  the  breaking  waves  of  the  cruel  sea. 

The  boy  had  been  a  little  delirious  during  the  night. 
There  was,  therefore,  no  check  to  prevent  the  old 
man  from  giving  way  to  his  feelings.  He  fairly 
crooned  over  the  lad  and  cuddled  him  in  his  arms  in 
his  rude  way,  as  a  mother  might  have  done  with  a 
child.  He  recalled  those  quaint,  sweet  hours  of  his 
early  association  when  the  boy  had  lain  in  his  arms 
as  a  little  baby,  and  he  had  sworn  to  protect  him. 
Into  the  plain  heart  of  the  rude  sailor  little  Boston 
had  entered  as  no  one  else,  not  even  the  children 
of  his  own  flesh  and  blood,  had  ever  been  able  to  do. 

So  the  slow,  long  hours  wore  away  until  the  morn- 
ing broke  and  they  could  see  about  them.  Rising 

303 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

on  his  knees,  steadying  himself  by  a  bit  of  the  cross- 
trees,  which  still  remained  in  place,  the  man  searched 
the  horizon.  There  was  nothing  to  be  seen.  Not 
a  vestige  of  the  Wasp,  not  a  shattered  spar,  or  tim- 
ber, even,  was  in  sight.  The  English  frigate  had 
been  driven  beyond  the  reach  of  his  vision.  The 
two  were  alone,  absolutely  and  entirely  alone. 

Now  that  daylight  enabled  Lang  to  see  what  he 
was  doing,  he  wrenched  two  pieces  of  wood  from 
the  splintered  end  of  the  yard-arm,  and  with  his 
sheath-knife  deftly  shaped  them  into  rough  splints. 
Then  he  tore  his  shirt  into  long  strips,  and  with 
these  rude  contrivances  he  tenderly  and  with  much 
skill  bound  up  the  boy's  arm,  after  setting  the 
broken  bones  as  well  as  he  could  on  the  tossing 
spar.  He  was  not  without  some  knowledge  of  sur- 
gery of  a  primitive  kind,  knowledge  which  he  had 
picked  up  in  years  of  service  and  which  he  had 
often  applied  before  this. 

The  whole  process  severely  hurt  the  midshipman, 
who  had  entirely  recovered  consciousness  in  the 
morning,  but  he  bore  the  pain  without  flinching, 
and  even  contrived  to  smile  at  some  of  the  rough 
banter  with  which  old  Jack  strove  to  hide  his  own 
grief  and  reassure  the  boy.  When  he  had  done 
everything  possible  for  Ned,  the  sailor  strength- 
ened his  raft  somewhat  so  that  the  water  no  longer 
dashed  over  them  so  violently  as  it  had  done,  but 
that  was  all.  There  was  nothing  else  to  be  done, 
absolutely  nothing.  There  was  no  water  to  drink, 

304 


THE   CASTAWAYS 

no  food  to  eat,  no  work  to  do.  Old  Jack  Lang  had 
to  crouch  down  on  these  bits  of  rope-lashed  wreck- 
age by  the  side  of  Boston  and  wait  for  what  might 
happen. 

By  and  by  the  midshipman  sank  into  a  troubled 
sleep,  and  the  old  man,  disposing  himself  so  that  he 
afforded  a  partial  shelter  to  the  boy,  watched  him  as 
the  hours  dragged  along.  For  once  in  his  life  he 
had  no  desire  to  talk.  He  sat  with  his  arms  folded 
in  that  way  he  had  and  gazed.  His  intellectual  re- 
sources were  limited,  his  mental  capacities  small, 
but  his  sorrow  and  anxiety  for  the  boy  were  perhaps 
the  greater  on  that  account. 

How  he  had  dreamed  and  hoped  for  that  lad ! 
How  he  had  loved  him  and  cared  for  him  !  What 
pride  and  pleasure  he  had  taken  in  his  career  !  How 
brilliant  and  full  of  promise  his  short  life  had  been  ! 
Was  this  to  be  the  end  of  it  all  ?  Was  it  to  end 
there  on  that  raft  on  that  ocean  waste  ?  Out  of  the 
deep,  with  its  mystery,  the  boy  had  come  ;  into  the 
deep,  with  its  mystery,  was  he  to  go  ?  It  could  not 
be  !  Surely  God  would  spare  the  last,  this  only  one 
of  all  that  company  of  brave  hearts  and  true  ?  For 
himself  it  made  no  difference.  He  did  not  count. 
He  was  only  a  sailor,  an  old,  old  man.  No  ending 
could  be  fitter  than  for  him  to  go  down  in  the  great 
waters  and  come  up  no  more.  He  did  not  care. 
He  was  willing,  if  only  the  boy  might  be  spared. 

By  and  by,  about  noon,  Boston  opened  his  eyes, 
and  saw  the  haggard  face  of  the  old  man  bending 

305 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

over  him.  Ned  had  forgotten  for  the  moment 
where  they  were  and  what  had  happened  to  them. 

"  Jack,"  he  asked,  feebly,  "what  are  we  doing  here? 
Where's  the  Wasp?  Oh,  this— this— awful  pain!" 

He  laid  his  hand  upon  his  shattered  arm. 

"  Master  Ned,"  said  the  old  sailor,  "  don't  you  re- 
member the  night-battle  ?  The  ship  goin'  down 
with  all  hands,  'ceptin'  you  an'  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  boy,  knitting  his  brow  with 
the  effort  of  recollection,  "  I  remember.  This  arm 
was  broken  by  a  grape-shot,  and  you  picked  me  up 
after  she  foundered,  did  you  not  ?  " 

"  I  seized  ye  in  my  arms  on  deck  w'en  I  seen  wot 
was  happening  an'  jumped  with  ye." 

"  Of  course.  And  then  you  made  this  raft,  and 
in  the  morning  bound  up  my  arm.  Thank  you, 
good  old  Jack,"  continued  the  boy,  smiling  faintly. 

"Does  yer  arm  pain  ye  much,  sir  ?"  queried  the 
sailor,  anxiously. 

"  Not  so  very  much,  you  fixed  it  up  so  well." 

"Taint  the  fust  time  I've  spliced  a  splintered 
human  spar,  Master  Boston." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.     What  time  is  it?  " 

"  About  mid-day,  eight  bells,  I  makes  it,  sir." 

"Anything  in  sight?" 

"  Nothin',  sir,  leastways  not  yet,"  answered  the 
sailor  after  a  long  gaze  around  the  gray  horizon  line. 

"  And  nothing  to  eat,  no  water  to  drink,  noth- 
ing  " 

"  Nothin'  but  God  A'mighty,  Master  Boston,  an' 

306 


THE   CASTAWAYS 

if  He  goes  back  on  ye  I  don't  know  wot  we'll 
do." 

"He  won't,  Jack,  I'm  sure.  And  I  feel  some- 
how as  if  we  were  going  to  be  picked  up  soon. 
I'm  certain  of  it,  Jack,"  answered  the  boy,  confi- 
dently. 

"  I  hope  so,  sir,  and  'taint  impossible.  There'd 
ought  to  be  many  ships  passin'  along  here.  It's  the 
reg'lar  route  fer  the  East  Indies.  Only  they're  likely 
to  be  Britishers." 

"  Well,  we'll  be  saved,  anyway,  I  am  sure.  I  can 
stand  this  another  day  or  two.  And  wasn't  it  glo- 
rious fighting,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Finest  I  ever  seed,  sir ;  less'n  'twas  the  time  we 
licked  the  SerrypisT 

After  a  long  pause  the  lad  spoke  again. 

"  Jack,  that  locket  of  mine  ?  " 

"  Here  'tis,  Master  Ned,"  said  the  old  man,  lifting 
it  up. 

"  I  thought  the  mast  might  have  crushed  it.  It 
was  about  here,  the  captain  said,  they  picked  me  up — 
my  mother  and  me.  Let  me  look  at  her  face  again," 
he  asked. 

With  his  thick,  coarse  hands  the  old  man  fumbled 
at  the  locket  until  he  had  opened  it.  Then  he  un- 
clasped the  chain  and  put  the  open  case  in  the  boy's 
left  hand.  Ned  lifted  the  open  locket  and  gazed  a 
long  time  at  the  pictured  face. 

"  My  beautiful  mother,"  he  said,  half  to  himself, 

and  almost  as  if  he  had  been  addressing  her.  "Jack, 

307 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

she  gives  me  confidence.     I  know  we'll  be  picked 
up,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  sailor. 

So  the  weary  day  dragged  slowly  along  until  the 
night  fell  upon  the  hungry,  thirsty  castaways.  For 
Jack  the  privations  were  not  yet  very  severe,  how- 
ever, but  little  Boston,  made  of  less  stern  stuff,  and 
with  the  added  disability  of  his  broken  arm,  suffered 
so  that  when  the  day  broke  he  was  in  a  raging  fever 
and  so  delirious  that  he  was  not  able  to  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  announcement  or  to  enter  into 
the  joy  with  which  the  sailor  discovered  the  sails  of  a 
large  ship  bearing  down  upon  them  in  the  morning. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE   BREDERODR   TO  THE    RESCUE 

"  MR.  SNYDER,"  said  the  officer  of  the  watch  to 
a  smart  young  midshipman  gravely  pacing  the  lee 
side  of  the  quarter-deck,  "  give  my  compliments  to 
Captain  Van  Rooy  and  tell  him  we  have  sighted  a 
raft  with  a  man  on  it,  and  I  have  changed  the  course 
of  the  ship  and  am  now  heading  toward  it." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ! "  answered  the  reefer,  saluting  and 
disappearing  through  the  door  under  the  poop-deck 
of  the  Brederode,  a  huge  old-fashioned,  high-pooped 
Dutch  East  Indiaman  outward  bound  for  Batavia. 

Tnese  famous  traders  sailed  with  very  heavy  crews 
and  a  full  complement  of  young  midshipmen,  who, 
later,  were  graduated  into  watch  officers  as  they 
were  capable,  and  finally  became  the  commanders 
of  the  different  ships  of  the  fleet.  The  Indiamen 
were  all  armed  for  protection  against  the  pirates  of 
the  Eastern  seas,  and  the  drill  and  discipline  main- 
tained were  not  unlike  those  of  a  man-of-war.  The 
officers  were  all  uniformed,  too,  in  semi-naval  fash- 
ion. 

Captain  Van  Rooy,  a  stout,  fat  little  Dutchman, 
of  huge  girth,  whose  build  inevitably  suggested  the 
shape  of  his  squabby,  bluff-bowed  ship,  came  bustling 

309 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

on  deck  a  few  moments  after  receiving  the  midship- 
man's message.  After  a  quick  glance  to  windward, 
and  a  longer,  more  comprehensive  look  aloft,  after 
the  habit  of  the  true  sailor,  he  turned  to  the  officer 
of  the  watch. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  de  Kaater." 

"Good-morning,  Captain  Van  Rooy,"  answered 
the  watch  officer,  who,  by  the  way,  belonged  to  the 
same  Dutch  family  from  which  the  ancestors  of  the 
great  American  Decatur  had  come. 

"  You  say  you  have  sighted  a  raft,  sir  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  are  heading  for  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     We  shall  overhaul  it  in  half  an  hour." 

"  And  there  is  a  man  in  it  ?  " 

"  Two,  sir ;  at  least  one  of  them  is  a  boy." 

"  Are  they  alive  ? "  asked  the  captain,  nimbly 
mounting  the  poop  ladders  as  he  spoke. 

"  One  of  them  is,  sir,"  answered  De  Kaater,  step- 
ping to  the  weather  side  of  the  poop  and  pointing. 
"There  they  are  !  right  ahead,  sir.  You  can  see  the 
man  waving  his  hands.  Through  the  glass,"  he  con- 
tinued, proffering  the  telescope  to  the  captain,  who 
immediately  seized  it,  adjusted  it,  and  fixed  it  on  the 
raft,  "you  can  make  out  the  other  smaller  figure, 
which  seems  quite  still.  I  misdoubt  that  one  will 
be  dead,  sir." 

"  Yes,  I  see  them  now.  Poor  fellows !  It's  a 
lucky  thing  the  old  Brederode  happened  along.  You 

have  done  well,  sir,  in  heading  for  them  without 

310 


The  castaways. 


THE  BREDERODE  TO   THE   RESCUE 

orders.  Now  order  a  boat  got  ready  at  once.  I 
don't  want  that  spar  battering  against  the  ship  in  this 
sea.  Ah,  Mr.  Denton,  good-morning." 

"  Good-morning,  Captain  Van  Rooy,"  answered 
a  tall,  thin  man,  whose  tanned,  sunburned,  weather- 
beaten  face  could  not  disguise  his  Americanism.  He 
spoke  Dutch  with  a  pronounced  accent,  too,  al- 
though he  expressed  himself  fluently  and  with  ease. 

"  You  are  rising  early  this  morning,  sir,"  con- 
tinued the  captain.  "Our  beautiful  Brederode  has 
not  yet  completed  her  morning  toilet,"  he  added, 
looking  forward  at  the  groups  of  bare-legged  sailors 
scrubbing  decks,  coiling  down  running  rigging,  and 
otherwise  preparing  the  ship  for  the  day. 

"  Yes,  Van  Rooy,"  returned  Mr.  Denton,  "  but 
you  know  it  was  just  here  that  the  William  of 
Nassau  was  burned  fourteen  years  ago,  and  I  lost 
my  wife  and  baby — and  I  could  not  sleep  for  think- 
ing of  it." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  said  the  captain,  kindly  pat- 
ting Mr.  Denton  on  the  back  with  his  fat,  pudgy 
hand. 

They  were  old  friends,  this  little  Dutch  skipper 
and  the  tall  American.  .Denton  was  an  American, 
a  Carolinian,  who  had  gone  years  before  to  the 
Island  of  Batavia,  to  take  up  the  life  of  a  planter. 
He  had  gone  out  there  on  a  sister  ship  to  the 
Brederode  with  his  young  wife  and  his  son,  a  baby, 
born  on  a  previous  voyage  from  New  York  to 
Amsterdam. 

3" 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

The  ship,  the  William  of  Nassau,  had  caught 
fire  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  At  the  first  alarm 
he  had  placed  his  wife  and  baby  in  one  of  the 
ship's  boats  towing  astern,  and  the  painter  attach- 
ing the  boat  to  the  ship  had  been  burned  away  and 
the  boat  had  drifted  out  to  sea.  The  Indiaman  had 
been  burned  to  the  water's  edge,  her  crew  had 
been  forced  to  take  to  the  boats,  and  after  many 
days  had  been  picked  up  by  a  British  ship  bound  for 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

It  was  two  years  after  the  burning  of  the  East 
Indiaman  before  Mr.  Denton  was  able  to  make 
inquiries  as  to  the  fate  of  his  wife  and  child,  for  his 
sufferings  while  in  the  open  boat  had  resulted  in 
the  temporary  loss  of  his  reason.  When  he  did 
search  he  had  found  nothing.  He  had  reluctantly 
abandoned  hope  thereafter,  and  had  finally  gone  to 
Batavia,  where  he  had  become  a  successful  planter. 

When  the  news  of  the  war  between  England  and 
the  United  States  had  filtered  out  to  those  Eastern 
seas  he  had  gone  back  to  the  United  States  and 
offered  his  services,  such  as  they  were,  to  that  coun- 
try, which  still  remained  supreme  in  his  affection. 
Now,  however,  it  being  evident  that  the  end  of  the 
year  would  see  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  return- 
ing to  Batavia  to  look  after  his  disordered  affairs, 
which  urgently  needed  attention.  He  was  a  pas- 
senger on  the  Brederode,  and,  as  has  been  said, 
Captain  Van  Rooy,  her  master,  was  a  personal  friend 
of  Mr.  Denton's  and  knew  his  story.  The  American 

312 


THE  BREDERODE  TO   THE   RESCUE 

had  remained  unmarried  and  had  ever  cherished  the 
memory  of  that  fair  young  wife  and  the  baby  son 
who  had  been  lost. 

It  was  chance,  or  shall  we  not  say  Providence  ? 
that  had  led  the  Brederode  down  to  the  very  lati- 
tude and  longitude  where,  years  before,  Mr.  Den- 
ton's  loved  ones  had  been  lost,  and  there,  upon  those 
spars  she  was  fast  overhauling,  lay  the  unconscious 
body  of  his  son,  though,  of  course,  not  the  faintest 
idea  of  such  a  thing  crossed  the  mind  of  the  Amer- 
ican. 

"  And  you  found  nothing  about  them  during  your 
visit  to  the  States,  my  friend  ? "  queried  the  kind- 
hearted  little  Dutchman  for  the  hundredth  time. 

"  Nothing.  The  sea  seems  to  have  swallowed 
them  up." 

"  Some  day  you  will  know,  though." 

"Yes,  some  day,"  answered  Denton,  reverently; 
"  but  not  in  this  life,  I  fear." 

"  I  would  not  even  assert  that  last,  mynheer.  I 
have  seen  the  sea  disclose  too  many  mysteries  to 
doubt  the  possibility  of  your  finding  your  wife  or 
your  child,  or  at  least  finding  out  what  became  of 
them." 

"  You  think  so  ?  "  asked  the  American,  incredu- 
lously, yet  hopefully. 

"I  do,  indeed.  Remember  that  at  sea,  at  any 
rate,  it  is  always  the  unexpected  that  happens.  Have 
confidence,  have  hope  !  " 

"  I  do  try,  my  friend,  but  it  is  hard.  It  is  the 

313 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

uncertainty  which   makes  it  so   difficult   to   bear, 
though,  even  after  all  these  years." 

This  conversation,  or  one  like  it,  had  often  taken 
place  between  the  two  men,  yet  each  time  the  topic 
was  broached  they  attacked  it  with  a  new  interest. 
Meantime  the  Brederode  had  run  down  close  to  the 
raft,  when,  by  the  captain's  direction,  Mr.  de  Kaater 
had  promptly  hove  her  to.  A  boat  was  dropped  in 
the  water  and  rapidly  rowed  over  to  the  raft. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE    MYSTERY    IS    SOLVED 

THE  keen  eyes  of  Captain  Van  Rooy  detected 
the  situation  long  before  the  boat,  which  had  suc- 
cessfully taken  the  castaways  from  the  raft,  reached 
the  side  of  the  ship.  At  a  few  sharp  words  of  com- 
mand from  him  a  couple  of  Dutch  sailors  sprang 
nimbly  into  the  weather  main  shrouds  of  the  Bre- 
derode.  They  ran  up  to  the  main-top,  then  out  on 
the  yard-arm,  whence,  after  a  few  minutes  of  busy 
work,  they  dropped  a  boatswain's  chair*  over  the 
side.  By  this  time  De  Kaater  had  brought  the  boat 
skilfully  alongside,  right  under  the  dangling  chair. 

Old  Jack  Lang  sat  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  cut- 
ter with  poor  little  Boston  held  tenderly  in  his 
arms.  The  boy  was  in  a  wretched  state  ;  the  bullet 
wound,  the  broken  arm,  the  exhaustion  and  starva- 
tion, and  above  all  the  horrible  thirst  of  the  past 
two  days,  enhanced  by  his  fevered  condition,  had 
brought  him  nearly  to  the  last  gasp  apparently. 
Lieutenant  De  Kaater,  who  knew  no  English, 
stretched  out  his  arms  as  if  to  take  the  moaning 
boy  as  the  boat  swung  alongside  the  ship ;  but 

*  A  boatswain's  chair  is  simply  a  board  hung  like  the  seat  of  a  swing  in  a 
triangle  of  rope  ;  in  this  instance  attached  to  a  tackle  rove  through  a  block 
on  the  yard-arm. 

in 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Lang  shook  his  head  in  prompt  denial.  It  was  im- 
possible, of  course,  for  the  old  sailor,  or  any  one 
else  for  that  matter,  to  carry  the  helpless  midship- 
man up  the  battens  to  the  gangway,  but  the  boat- 
swain's chair  which  he  saw  dangling  before  him  was 
a  thing  which  would  serve  for  both  of  them. 

Watching  his  opportunity,  with  the  officer's  as- 
sistance, he  got  into  the  chair,  still  holding  the  boy. 
The  men  in  the  waist  at  a  signal  from  the  captain 
manned  the  fall  of  the  girtline  and  ran  the  two 
lightly  above  the  rail  and  then  dropped  them  gently 
on  the  deck. 

Disengaging  himself  slowly  and  painfully,  for  hr 
was  stiff  and  exhausted  from  what  he  had  gone 
through,  the  old  sailor  found  himself  confronted  by 
the  fat  little  Dutch  captain,  while  immediately  fol- 
lowing him  was  the  tall  figure  of  the  American ; 
they  had  both  descended  from  the  poop  to  the 
quarter-deck  to  meet  him.  Van  Rooy  at  once  ad- 
dressed him  in  voluble  Dutch,  to  which  the  mysti- 
fied old  man  could  only  reply  by  shaking  his  head. 
At  last  he  burst  out: 

"Ain't  there  nobody  here  as  kin  speak  United 
States?" 

"  I  can,"  promptly  replied  Mr.  Denton,  stepping 
forward.  "  Captain  Van  Rooy,"  he  added  in  Dutch, 
"  I  suggest  that  they  be  taken  to  your  cabin  for  the 
present  at  any  rate." 

"  By  all  means,"  assented  the  captain,  leading  the 
way  aft. 

316 


THE   MYSTERY   IS   SOLVED 

Before  he  disappeared  under  the  break  of  the  poop 
he  turned  to  De  Kaater,  who  had  come  on  deck  and 
attended  to  the  bestowing  of  the  boat : 

"  Swing  the  yards,  sir,  and  get  the  ship  under  way 
and  on  her  course  once  more ;  we've  lost  a  good 
deal  of  time  already,"  he  commanded. 

Arrived  in  the  roomy  captain's  cabin  of  the  Bre- 
derode,  Denton  and  the  captain  took  a  quick  survey 
of  the  castaways.  Lang  was  clad  only  in  his  trou- 
sers, since  he  had  torn  his  shirt  up  to  make  bandages 
for  the  young  officer ;  his  eyes  were  sunken,  his  face 
haggard  and  worn,  mostly  through  the  anxiety  he 
felt  for  the  midshipman  rather  than  on  account  of 
the  experiences  he  had  gone  through.  A  singular 
picture  of  grief  and  apprehension,  he  now  stood 
bending  over  little  Boston,  whom  he  had  laid 
upon  a  cushion-covered  transom  immediately  he 
entered. 

The  midshipman  was  still  unconscious.  He  was 
dressed  in  his  regulation  uniform  except  his  jacket, 
though  one  of  the  sleeves  of  his  shirt  had  been  slit 
to  make  room  for  the  splints.  After  he  had  given 
the  boy  a  few  sips  Lang  tenderly  wetted  his  lips 
with  water  from  a  glass  which  the  captain  with  a 
seaman's  ready  instinct  had  handed  him  immediate- 
ly. If  the  sufferer  had  not  been  gently  but  firmly 
restrained  by  the  sailor  he  would  have  drunk  the 
whole  glass  at  once.  Although  the  old  man  was 
suffering  greatly  from  thirst  himself  he  would  take 
nothing  until  he  had  attended  to  the  wants  of  his 

317 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

young  charge.  As  he  looked  at  the  helpless  boy  he 
turned  appealingly  to  the  American  : 

"For  God's  sake,  sirs/'  he  burst  forth,  "ain't 
there  no  doctor  aboard  to  look  arter  him  ?  Wot 
he's  bin  through's  enough  to  kill  a  man  a'most,  let 
alone  a  lad  like  him." 

Denton  turned  to  Captain  Van  Rooy,  who,  by  the 
way,  understood  not  a  little  English,  though  he 
could  not  speak  the  language.  As  the  American 
began  to  translate,  the  captain,  anticipating,  struck 
a  bell  standing  on  the  table,  and  Midshipman  Sny- 
der  promptly  popped  into  the  cabin. 

"  Send  the  surgeon  to  me  at  once,"  said  Van 
Rooy. 

As  the  ship's  doctor  came  into  the  cabin  in  obe- 
dience to  the  summons,  the  American  pointed  to 
the  boy.  The  physician  swiftly  and  skilfully  ex- 
amined little  Boston. 

"Who  put  those  splints  on?"  he  asked,  with  ad- 
miration in  his  tone  and  glance. 

Mr.  Denton  translated  the  question,  and  Jack 
Lang  announced  his  handiwork. 

"  You  have  done  very  well,  indeed,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, a  fat  little  fac-simile  of  the  captain,  "and  the 
constant  wetting  of  the  wound  has  in  great  measure 
kept  down  the  inflammation.  I  will  re-dress  it,  of 
course.  The  boy  is  suffering  from  nervous  shock, 
from  hunger,  and  especially  from  thirst.  I  shall 
mix  a  cooling  draught  for  him,  and,  with  proper 
care  and  nursing,  we  will  break  his  fever  and  restore 

318 


THE   MYSTERY   IS   SOLVED 

him  to  his  senses,"  he  continued.  "I  will  go  to  the 
sick  bay  and  mix  it  up  now,  and  will  you  have  a 
bowl  of  broth  made  at  the  galley,  sir  ?  "  he  asked  the 
captain. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  latter,  again  summoning 
the  midshipman. 

"  Give  him  water  in  sips  until  I  return,  nothing 
more,"  added  the  doctor  as  he  left  the  cabin  to  make 
up  his  prescription. 

"  Now,  my  man,  your  story  ?  "  said  Mr.  Denton, 
who  had  rapidly  conveyed  to  old  Jack  the  assurance 
in  the  doctor's  words. 

"  Well,  sir,"  answered  the  sailor,  "  Mr.  Boston, 
here,  was  a  midshipman  on  the  United  States  sloop- 
o'-war  Wasp,  Cap'n  Blakeley,  w'ich  she  was  the  finest 
wessel  of  her  class  afloat.  Not  fur  from  these 
latitudes  we  was  edgin'  our  way  to  the  sou'east'ard 
lookin'  fer  British  ships.  I  was  chief  bo's'n's  mate 
on  her " 

"  Then  you  are  an  American  ?  "  interrupted  Mr. 
Denton,  with  eagerness.  "  I  might  have  known 
that,  though,"  he  continued,  as  he  looked  at  Lang's 
naked  breast,  decorated  with  a  rippling  American 
flag,  tattooed  in  its  proper  colors  upon  his  white 
skin. 

To  digress,  Lang  was  a  perfect  picture  gallery  ! 
A  full-rigged  ship  under  all  sail  was  racing  across 
his  back  ;  mysterious  daggers  with  blood  dripping 
from  the  points  were  so  cunningly  tattooed  as  to 
have  the  appearance  of  being  thrust  through  his 

319 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

arms ;  anchors,  stars,  hearts,  and  women's  names- 
indicating  the  proverbial  fickleness  of  a  sailor — were 
scattered  all  over  him.  He  would  have  been  a  fort- 
une to  a  dime  museum,  if  such  places  had  existed  in 
those  days. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  answered,  promptly,  "  we're  both 
Americans,  born  there,  raised  there,  leastways  I  was. 
Mr.  Boston,  he  was  born  on  the  sea  I  'low — that  is, 
he  was  found  there." 

"  On  the  sea !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Denton,  starting. 
"  But  what  nonsense,"  he  continued  to  himself,  a 
moment  after  ;  then,  addressing  Jack  Lang  again,  he 
said,  "  I  am  an  American,  too." 

"Thank  God  fer  that,  sir,"  commented  Jack, 
heartily. 

"  I  do,"  returned  the  other,  smiling  at  the  man's 
patriotism,  "  but  to  your  story." 

"  Well,  sir,  there  ain't  much  more  to  tell,  though 
a  mighty  sight  happened.  We  fell  in  with  a  big 
British  frigate  in  a  ca'm  sea,  she  overhauled  us  in 
the  night,  an'  though  we  fit  her  good  an'  hard,  she 
knocked  us  into  a  cocked  hat.  Then,  in  the  middle 
of  the  action,  a  storm  struck  us,  the  wust  hurricane 
I  ever  seed.  We  tried  to  scud  afore  it,  but  couldn't 
control  her,  an*  she  was  brought-by-the-lee  an'  foun- 
dered !  Went  down  with  all  hands  on  board,  'ceptin' 
him  an'  me.  We  was  the  only  ones  saved,  by  the 
marcy  o'  God,  sirs,  of  the  hull  ship's  company  of  as 
fine  sailormen  and  as  bully  fighters  as  ever  I  was 

shipmates  with,  an'  I  seed  some  mighty  fine  crews 

320 


THE   MYSTERY   IS   SOLVED 

since  the  time  me'n  Cap'n  Jones  licked  the  Serrypis. 
Just  him  an'  me  is  left,  an'  thank  God  fer  him. 
He's  the  finest  young  reefer  in  the  Navy.  I  picked 
him  up  in  my  arms  as  she  went  down  an'  sprung 
clear.  We  found  the  top-mast  in  the  water  an'  you 
know  the  rest,  yer  honor." 

"  How  long  were  you  in  the  water  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Denton. 

"  Two  nights  an*  one  day,  sir,"  answered  Jack. 
"  You  see,  sir,  I  was  sort  o'  'sponsible  fer  this  young 
gentleman,"  continued  the  old  sailor.  "  It  was  me 
that  nussed  him  w'en  he  was  a  baby;  poor  little 
chap  never  had  no  mother  ner  a  father  nuther,  les- 
sen 't  was  me.  An'  he  was  found  right  out  there,  a 
matter  o'  fourteen  years  ago." 

"  Good  God,  man ! "  cried  Denton,  now  thoroughly 
aroused.  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  Who  found 
him  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,"  answered  the  sailor,  looking  up  in 
great  surprise  at  the  tall  American  standing  near  the 
boy  with  flushed  face,  his  voice  trembling  with  sup- 
pressed emotion,  "  Why,  sir,  we  took  a  French 
ship,  Le  Bersy,  er  suthin'  like  that,  in  the  fall  of 
eighteen  hundred,  an'  she  had  a  feemale  woman,  a 
lady,  on  board  of  her,  an'  this  yere  boy,  w'ich  he  was 
a  babby  then.  The  French  corvette  had  picked  up 
the  woman  an'  her  boy  a  few  days  afore.  The 
woman  was  dead — she'd  been  killed  by  a  shot  from 
our  battery,  but  the  boy  was  alive,  the  finest  little 

youngster  you  ever  seed,  sirs,  an' " 

321 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

"  Man  !  man  ! "  cried  the  American,  unable  to 
keep  silent  longer,  clutching  the  sailor  by  the  shoul- 
der as  he  spoke,  "  I  lost  my  wife  and  baby  here- 
about by  the  burning  of  an  East  Indiaman — Will- 
iam of  Nassau — fourteen  years  ago.  At  the  first 
alarm  of  fire  I  put  both  of  them  in  a  boat  towing 
astern.  In  some  way  the  painter  worked  loose 
or  burned  away,  and  the  boat  got  adrift  in  the 
night.  When  I  looked  for  them  they  were  gone. 
The  survivors  among  the  crew  and  passengers  took 
to  the  remaining  boats,  and  the  boat  I  was  in  was 
saved  at  last,  but  I  never  have  heard  of  my  wife  or 
boy  since.  Can  this  lad  be  he  ?  He  looks  a  little 
like  my  poor  wife,  doesn't  he  ?  "  he  cried,  turning 
beseechingly  to  Van  Rooy. 

"  My  friend,"  answered  the  captain,  seizing  the 
other  by  the  hand — he  had  followed  the  sailor's  story 
and  Denton's  appeal — "  My  dear  friend,  has  God 
indeed  wrought  a  miracle  ?  You  know  I  never  saw 
the  poor  jungfrau  Denton,  but "  he  paused  impres- 
sively and  pointed  to  the  prostrate  boy — "the  lad 
is  the  image  of  you  !  " 

Old  Jack  Lang  followed  the  pointing  finger,  he 
looked  from  the  old  face  to  the  young  face. 

"  Per  the  love  o'  God  ! "  he  exclaimed,  in  an  awe- 
struck voice,  "  he  looks  like  ye,  he's  yer  livin* 
image,  yer  honor ! " 

At  this  moment  little  Boston  opened  his  eyes. 
All  through  this  discussion  Jack  had  faithfully  con- 
tinued moistening  his  lips  and  brow  with  the  cool 

322 


THE    MYSTERY   IS   SOLVED 

water,  which  had  greatly  relieved  him,  and  had  now 
restored  him  to  partial  consciousness  at  least. 

"  Mother,"  whispered  the  boy,  looking  vacantly 
about  the  cabin  in  the  deathlike  silence  with  which 
the  three  men  listened  and  looked  at  him,  till  his 
gaze  fell  upon  his  brave  old  friend  whose  kindly  face 
was  working  with  anxiety,  suspense,  and  hope. 
"Jack,  good  old  Jack,"  he  went  on  slowly,  but  with 
increasing  strength  and  sureness.  "  Don't  worry, 
Jack,  we'll  be  picked  up  surely  soon ;  mother  said 
so." 

"  We  are  picked  up,  Mr.  Boston,  sir,  praised  be 
God,"  answered  the  bo's'n's  mate,  fervently. 

"  Is  that  so  ?  I'm  glad,"  answered  the  other,  then 
he  asked  for  the  locket.  "  That  locket,  Jack,  I 
want  to  see  her  face  and — thank  her,  you  know." 

As  he  had  done  on  the  raft  the  old  sailor  opened 
Ned's  shirt,  drew  forth  the  chain,  loosed  the  locket, 
opened  it  and  laid  it  in  the  midshipman's  hand. 
Mr.  Denton  and  the  captain  had  followed  the  sail- 
or's every  movement,  the  former  with  a  consuming 
anxiety  leavened  by  a  growing  hope. 

"  Was  that  locket  found  on  the  boy  ? "  he  de- 
manded, in  agonized  intensity  and  excitement. 

"  On  the  lady,  sir,  an'  we  draw'd  this  yere  ring 
from  off  her  finger,  sir,"  answered  Lang,  pointing  to 
the  ring  hanging  from  the  chain. 

"  Tis  my  wife's  picture ! "  cried  the  American,  after 
a  hasty  glance,  "and  that  is  her  ring,  her  wedding- 
ring,  there's  a  text  in  it,  '  Mizpah,'  you  know ! 

323 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Oh,  my  boy,  my  son  ! "  he  gasped  out,  sinking  on 
his  knees  by  the  transom  and  laying  his  hand  ten- 
derly on  Ned's  fevered  brow.  "  Thank  God,  the  sea 
has  given  back  a  part  of  what  it  took  away  from  me ! " 

"  Who  are  you,  sir  ?  "  asked  little  Boston,  looking 
in  wonderment  at  the  man  whose  face,  bending 
above  him,  was  working  with  old  grief  and  new  joy. 

"  My  lad,  my  little  boy,  by  God's  providence  I 
believe  I'm  your  father." 

"  So  I  have  found  you  at  last,  sir,"  said  little  Bos- 
ton, with  a  smile  of  deep  content.  "Jack,  I  told 
you  we'd  find — "  and  then  he  lapsed  into  uncon- 
sciousness again  just  as  the  doctor  came  in  and  took 
charge  of  him. 

Captain  Van  Rooy,  almost  as  much  rejoiced  as 
his  friend  over  this  son  who  had  been  lost  and  was 
now  found  again,  congratulated  the  American  most 
heartily  on  his  good  fortune.  There  was  a  spare 
stateroom  off  his  cabin,  which  he  insisted  upon  plac- 
ing at  the  disposal  of  the  boy ;  and  as  old  Jack  abso- 
lutely refused  to  be  separated  from  him,  for  the 
second  time  in  his  life  the  bo's'n's  mate  was  the 
guest  of  a  captain,  and  berthed  aft  with  the  quality  ! 

The  skilful  treatment  of  the  doctor,  and  the  de- 
voted nursing  of  the  father  and  the  sailor,  who  vied 
with  one  another  in  their  attention  to  the  patient, 
soon  broke  the  fever  and  set  him  on  the  royal  road 
to  recovery.  He  became  a  great  favorite  with  the 
other  passengers  on  the  long  cruise,  and  they  all 
served  to  make  his  convalescence  a  pleasant  one. 

324 


THE    MYSTERY   IS   SOLVED 

When  the  Brederode  reached  Batavia  he  was  com- 
pletely well  again. 

It  was  necessary,  of  course,  for  the  young  mid- 
shipman, as  the  only  surviving  officer  of  the  Wasp, 
to  return  to  the  United  States  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  report  her  loss  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
Mr.  Denton  therefore  sold  his  plantation  and  closed 
out  his  business  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  and 
the  three,  father,  son,  and  sailor,  returned  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  to  their  native  land. 

The  boy  had  been  named  Norman  Edward  Den- 
ton  originally,  so  in  his  new  relationship  he  could 
still  be  known  by  a  part  of  his  familiar  name — 
"  Ned."  There  was  one  person,  however,  who 
could  not  get  used  to  the  new  name,  and  that  was 
old  Jack  Lang.  To  him  Ned  remained  "  Mr.  Bos- 
ton," to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

Peace  had  been  declared  long  before  the  three 
reached  the  United  States,  and  told  the  story  of  the 
last  great  battle  in  which  the  Wasp  fought  the  huge 
unknown  British  frigate  until  she  sank  with  Blakeley 
dead  upon  her  decks  and  the  flag  which  had  never 
been  struck  flying  above  him.  Mr.  Denton  bought 
property  and  settled  in  Massachusetts,  near  the 
home  of  Commodore  Little,  his  boy's  second  father, 
to  whom,  and  to  Jack  Lang,  he  felt  he  owed  ever- 
lasting gratitude  for  the  care  and  rearing  which 
had  made  Ned  what  he  was — "  the  finest  young  of- 
ficer in  the  Navy,"  as  the  bo's'n's  mate  was  accus- 
tomed to  say. 

325 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

Ned  Boston  Denton,  for  so  he  insisted  upon  be- 
ing called,  divided  his  time  between  the  two  houses 
when  he  was  not  cruising  in  the  service.  Old  Jack 
followed  his  fortunes  for  a  few  years  longer  and 
finally  died  of  old  age,  at  sea  on  the  Constitution 
cruising  to  the  Mediterranean.  His  last  look  and 
word  were  to  the  young  lieutenant  he  loved,  whom 
he  persisted  in  calling  Mr.  Boston.  His  talkative- 
ness was  stopped  at  last.  They  folded  his  arms  in 
that  familiar  way  he  had,  lashed  him  in  a  spotless 
new  hammock,  wrapped  his  huge  figure  in  the  flag 
he  had  loved  and  fought  for,  and  buried  him  in  the 
sea  which  for  over  fifty  years  had  been  his  home. 
He  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  common — or 
uncommon — sailors  of  the  Navy  of  the  United 
States. 

Ned  Denton  rose  to  the  command  of  many  great 
and  gallant  ships,  attained  the  rank  of  Commodore, 
and  lived  to  do  his  country  faithful  service  on  many 
seas.  His  son  followed  General  Scott  in  his  cam- 
paign from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  his  grandson  did  brilliant  things 
under  Farragut  in  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  Civil 
War.  We  shall  hear  of  both  of  these  boys  again 
perhaps. 


326 


NOTE 

The  truth  of  history  demands  that  I  should  call  to  the  at- 
tention of  my  young  readers  the  melancholy  fact  that,  after 
the  news  of  the  sinking  of  the  Avon}  which  was  brought 
home  by  Midshipman  Geisinger  in  the  Atalanta,  was  received, 
but  one  thing  else  was  ever  heard  from  the  brave  little  Wasp, 
her  gallant  captain  and  his  splendid  crew. 

She  sailed  away  to  the  southward,  and  disappeared  forever 
from  the  knowledge  of  men.  No  one  really  knows  what  be- 
came of  her.  Her  fate  remains  a  mystery.  Her  loss  is  a 
secret  of  the  sea. 

Men  have  speculated  as  to  what  happened  to  her,  and  two 
incidents,  or  alleged  incidents,  may  account  for  her  disappear- 
ance. There  was  a  story  current  soon  after  the  war  that  two 
British  frigates  chased  a  small  American  sloop-of-war  under 
a  great  press  of  canvas  in  a  terrific  storm.  The  sloop  sud- 
denly disappeared  in  the  very  height  of  the  tempest.  This 
may  have  been  the  Wasp. 

Another  account  says  that  a  British  frigate,  badly  shattered 
from  a  fierce  night  battle  in  a  storm  with  a  smaller  enemy 
which  blew  up  during  the  action,  limped  into  port  one  day  f 
in  the  fall  of  1814,  and  told  the  story.  This  again  may  have 
been  the  Wasp,  if  the  story  be  true.  At  any  rate,  we  know 
one  thing.  She  was  never  surrendered  ;  her  flag  was  never 
Struck,  and  if  she  went  down,  she  sank  with  her  colors 
flying. 

Years  after  her  disappearance,  the  friends  of  the  two  offi- 
cers of  the  Essex,  searching  unremittingly  for  them,  found  the 
log-book  of  the  Swedish  brig 'which  told  how  they  had  been 
trans-shipped  to  the  Wasp,  as  has  been  told  in  the  story. 
That  was  the  last  real  authentic  news  ever  received  about 
her. 

The  people  at  home  waited  long  for  tidings — they  never 

327 


IN   THE   WASP'S   NEST 

received  any.  They  did  not  give  up  hope  for  many  years, 
but  they  had  to  abandon  it  at  last.  The  Wasp  was  gone, 
and  gone  forever.  With  her  dauntless  young  captain,  with 
her  dashing,  splendid  crew,  with  her  brave  officers,  with  her 
light-hearted  midshipmen,  with  her  traditions  of  glory  and 
honor  and  success,  ay,  with  the  flag  of  her  country  at  her 
gaff  end,  she  rests  beneath  the  seas. 

CT.  B. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  766  727     2 


